Lean On Me
by Lenena
Summary: Immediately after Season 6, contains Spoilers. Please don't read unless you've watched it. Keith and Allura are in a tight spot with their emotions, neither of them knows what's going to happen. Neither does the team. A look at what happens when they return to Earth and how they move forward. Kallura.
1. Chapter 1 Keith

Contains Spoilers!

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Chapter 1. Keith

The new group wasn't as cramped as they originally thought making the trip to Earth in the five lions. Seating arrangements changed every other stop or so. And now, halfway through the trip, Shiro placed back into the cryo-replenisher, rode with Keith in the Black Lion. Krolia rode with Hunk. Ridge and Romelle had bonded over a prank on Lance and continued to ride together. Coran and the mice rode with Lance in the Red Lion. Allura never said that she wanted to be alone but everyone wanted to give her space. But both Keith and Lance insisted that she at least keep the cosmic wolf with her. It was a mostly silent trip.

It was tense, to say the least. Emotions were still running high. No one knew about the kiss Allura and Lotor had shared in the hanger. Or in the kitchen. Or in her room… She didn't realize that their relationship had gone that far. But, if she was honest with herself, it wasn't a relationship on the edge of something serious. And maybe it was a good thing that things turned out the way they did. She had had feelings for Keith before he left with the Blade of Marmora. But in his absence a void she didn't know she had needed filling. Perhaps she used Lotor in her own way? It was nothing comparable to harvesting Alteans for quintessence, not by a long shot. But she used him in a way.

This long trip back to Earth was giving her way too much time to think. The wolf nuzzled Allura's thigh as she left out a deep sigh.

"You're intelligent, aren't you?" she asked the wolf. It stared deep into her eyes, unblinking. "You're very old, too." It blinked in response. "That's what I thought." The wolf nuzzled her thigh again. Its eyes looked concerned. _It really is intelligent,_ she thought.

"I'll be fine," she told it. It let out a low pitch whine. "Ugh, please don't tell me to face my emotions right now. I can't handle them right now." Just then Keith's voice was on the intercom.

"Hey, guys, there's a planet coming up that we can land on. I think it's time for another break."

"Ah, geez, finally!" Lance's voice chimed in.

"Yeah, I've been dying to stretch my legs and get something to eat." Hunk chimed in.

"I'm scanning the planet, and it's part of the coalition but not really populated. So we should be relatively safe there," Pidge said confidently.

"Do you copy, Allura?" Keith's question directed at her caught her off guard.

"I- uh, yes. I copy," she said plainly. She cursed her response to herself. The wolf laid its head on her lap and looked up. It whined softly again. She petted it softly between its ears.

"You need a name," she whispered to it. It huffed in response. "Do you want a name?" It stared up at her unblinking. "You don't need a name?" It blinked slowly and put its head back down. "Well, okay then. I guess you're just you then…" It licked her free hand and a small laugh escaped. Allura leaned over in her seat to hug the wolf. There was a vibration coming from it. If it were a cat, Allura would've said it was purring…

* * *

On the planet, Hunk, Pidge, Romelle, and Krolia made preparations for dinner. Lance, Coran, and Keith worked on setting up the perimeter and security for their camp. No job was assigned to Allura. She sat at the foot of the Blue Lion with the wolf and the mice. They decided to leave Shiro in the cryo-replenisher; his body and soul needing time to mend together again. Allura didn't want to dwell on the fact that no one wanted to approach her. But it bothered her. Why was everything so awkward between her and the rest of the team?

Dinner was made and passed out. Allura didn't move from her spot and instead, Coran brought her plate to her. His concern for her was clear as day on his face. She smiled a small smile and tried to reassure him that she was fine. He asked her to join them around the fire to which she refused. _It's not any better that you're avoiding them either_ , she chastised herself. Soon after that, security shifts were divided up and Allura wasn't given one. Keith took the first shift. Even when everyone else had gone to sleep, she stayed up, still sitting with Blue. Keith noticed.

At first, he wanted to keep giving her space, sitting by the fire, ears open. But he could feel her eyes on him. She didn't realize she was staring at him, she had just been lost in her own world and her eyes settled on him. Keith looked back at her and when she didn't respond he stood up. Her eyes didn't follow him as he walked over and sat next to her right. It was a few moments before she noticed him.

"Keith!" she almost yelled. "When did you get here?" he avoided her gaze as he answered.

"A while ago. You were in your own world, so I came to keep you company." Allura looked him over. He had been gone for so long. His absence outweighed the number of hours she had actually spent with him. He was so different now. His shoulders were broader, arms thicker, and he still hadn't cut his hair. The scar on his right cheek made him all the more foreign. Neither of them had spoken about what went on while they were apart. And Keith guessed now was as good of a time as any.

To be honest, Keith thought about Allura every single day he was gone. And not just the two years he was crossing the quantum abyss. But every day before that with the Blade of Marmora. And every day since he first met the princess. This past month, in this painfully slow space road tip, Keith was dying to talk to her. It just felt like she was avoiding him. And he was done being ignored.

"Two years," Keith said softly, looking at the fire in the distance.

"What?"

"It took Krolia and me two years to travel into the quantum abyss. We had a ship that made getting out a _lot_ faster, but, yeah, two years… How long was I gone for... you?" His voice trailed off, still not looking at her.

"Four earth months," she whispered. "Pidge programmed the castle to run on Earth time; it was easier on the rest of the team too," she added in the same breath.

"What happened?" he asked carefully. "With Lotor and everything? Why did you help him make his own Voltron? Just what happened?"

"He made a fool of me," she whispered. She crossed her arms and brought her knees up to her chest. "I fell for everything he told me… I was blinded by his promises of peace and resolution. I was caught up in his words." She hushed the last word and rested her chin on her knees, wrapping her arms around her legs. Keith didn't move, didn't dare to breathe. He struggled for a second to interpret what that might mean. He was done with implications.

"What- uh, what happened between you two?" He struggled to get the words out and still sound pleasant. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"We-" a lump formed in her throat. The wolf appeared on her left and nudged her shoulder encouragingly. She took a deep breath before continuing, "We kissed." She tried to keep out as much emotion as possible but her voice still wavered a little. Keith didn't respond. So she continued again.

"We kissed a few times. We were working so close together, and he would tell me such sweet things. And for a moment I thought his intentions were really true. But I was wrong, Keith. So wrong. I didn't even realize that the ships we were building could interlock as Voltron does." Her voice broke several times and as much as she wanted to see Keith's face she stared at the fire.

Keith did his best not to respond, to keep his breathing steady. But he was confused. He had a crush on Allura, same as Lance, he just never wanted it to be so obvious. Now he wondered if he hid it too well. But so much time had passed for him. Their relationship didn't even remotely resemble the friendship they had had. The thought of her waiting for him to return was enough to keep him fighting day after day. Now he was back and it turned out whatever he thought they had was really just in his head. He leaned his back against Blue.

"You're going through more pain than I can imagine," he said quietly, looking at the stars. "I'm sorry this happened, Allura." She stayed still, his words making her feel worse than his intention. He sat back up and placed his hand over hers. The contact brought her gaze to his. And for the first time, they both looked into each other's eyes.

"I mean it, Allura," he continued, "I'm so sorry this happened to you. The pain, the betrayal you must be feeling, it breaks my heart-" He stopped to swallow the lump in his throat. Tears pricked at his eyes just as they filled Allura's. "You don't have to carry this alone, though. Everyone is here for you. Please don't shut them out. Please don't shut me out."

A few tears fell from Allura's eyes. She quickly blinked them away. She turned her hand around to hold Keith's.

"Thank you, Keith," she whispered. "Thank you." She gave his hand a squeeze that he reciprocated.

"Get some sleep, Princess," Keith said, softly releasing her hand. She nodded as Keith got up to go back to his post.

The sudden idea of sleeping by herself scared her. Some of the team, like Lance and Romelle, had opted to sleep in a lion. But Allura didn't want to separate herself anymore. Pidge was in a sleeping bag next to the fire. Allura took out her own sleeping bag and made her way towards Pidge.

"Pidge," Allura whispered while gently shaking the sleeping shoulder.

"Is something attacking us?" Pidge sat up and already pulling off her cover.

"No, no, Pidge, everything is fine," she cooed the teenager back down.

"What's up, Princess?" Pidge asked, realizing that this was the first proper conversation they had in a while.

"I was wondering if it would be okay to sleep next to you for tonight?" Allura was well aware of Keith's attention to the situation. She hoped that this is what he meant.

"Yeah, of course, Princess," Pidge answered happily. Pidge was glad that Allura was finally coming back around to them. And even more so that she came to her first. Pidge always had a soft spot for Allura. Little did she know that Allura had a soft spot for her as well. Allura set up her bag next to Pidge and laid down. Just being physically close to someone else felt nice. For the first time in a long time, Allura slept soundly.


	2. Chapter 2 Romelle

Contains Spoilers! a/n When I say slow burn, I mean slow. Slow. Thank you to everyone reading this!

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Chapter 2. Romelle

Lance was surprised but delighted that Allura was getting back into the group. After the entire Lotor ordeal, he knew that his place with Allura was as her friend. And after the momentary heartbreak, he realized that he didn't mind being her friend. In fact, it took the pressure to impress off. Of course, he still wanted to do his best but he knew he had a place that fit. He knew that he was an essential part of the team and there was no doubting that anymore. It was Lance and Allura on clean-up duty after breakfast.

"I'm glad you're not isolating yourself, anymore," Lance started, "I mean, if you need more time and space, we got a whole universe!" He ended it with a laugh to make sure she knew it was mostly a joke. To his relief, she laughed as well.

"Thank you, Lance," she said sincerely. "I think I had forgotten who my true friends are… I'm sorry."

"Psh," Lance scoffed. "I told you already: He fooled all of us. I know it must be harder for you… But, look at it this way: you're not the last Altean anymore. I mean, yeah, keeping them like cattle is a terrible thing. But, we have a new comrade." At this, he waved to Romelle, who gave a confused wave back. Allura smiled. "And you have your own people to protect now. That's gotta make you wanna fight harder now," his voice finished low and somewhat dark.

They stared at each other for a moment. Allura was seeing the effects of this war on everyone. Lance was so young, especially compared to her. But his eyes were much older. His shoulders hung just a little lower. She wondered if there were the same small changes on her own physique.

"Of course it does," Allura's voice was barely above a whisper. That's what was so complicated about Lotor. He used Alteans as a source of quintessence, no better than pigs for the slaughter. On the other hand, there were whole generations that survived ten-thousand years. Or maybe 'survived' wasn't the right word. Perhaps the right word was 'bred.' Allura also knew that she had no connections with those Alteans. All they knew was Lotor. Her father, her mother, their true traditions and culture were gone with Lotor's mythology of himself. Not even Allura, herself, was remembered. She knew she needed to to make that connection.

Just as everything was finished and everyone ready to board, Allura approached Romelle.

"Um, hello, Romelle. Pidge." Allura started awkwardly. Pidge and Romelle both shared a look.

"Hi, Princess," Pidge said first.

"Hello, Allura," Romelle answered just as awkwardly.

"I was wondering, if you wouldn't mind, riding with me for the next trip?" Allura hated how unsure she sounded. It was upsetting that she was so uncomfortable around Romelle.

"Oh!" Romelle didn't even try to hide her surprise. "Yes, actually, I would like that very much." Romelle gave a kind smile that eased Allura's nerves.

"I hope you get to see how amazing Allura really is, Romelle," Pidge said, scooping up the mice that had gathered at her feet. "I guess I'll take the wolf this time. Mr. Wolf!" At her call, the wolf appeared at Pidge's side.

"Let's go, everyone!" Keith's voice projected over the small camp and everyone made their way inside a lion. All five lions lifted off the ground and back into space.

"I know we're tired, but we're halfway through this trip," Keith said over the intercom. "Just hang in there a little more. Pidge, are we still on course?"

"That's a 10-4. All your lions are already set and heading in the right direction," Pidge answered. Allura glanced at the coordinates set on the navigation screen.

"Alright team, let's stay focused, stay sharp. We're not out of danger. But let's hope we knock out a good distance without any trouble." Keith finished his speech and Allura was left with Romelle sitting behind her. With her lion on autopilot, Allura swiveled her chair around to face Romelle. She took a deep breath and sat on her hands.

"Soo…"

"So…" Romelle repeated. They both laughed an awkward chuckle.

"I need to know more about you, and the other Alteans," Allura blurted. Being straightforward was always something she was good at but, now, she questioned everything she said.

"You're telling me," Romelle started, "I need to know more about you! About us. The real us. Everything Lotor told us was a lie. A lie I lost my entire family to." Allura moved to sit next to Romelle.

"Where do I start?" Allura asked herself. "There's so much to tell you, so much you don't know."

"Thank you, I know." Romelle laughed.

"How about you ask me a question and I'll answer to the best of my ability?" Allura offered.

"Deal," Romelle said. "Are you really our princess? Everyone who would've known you have been dead for millenniums."

"I am," Allura said, some confidence finally finding its way back in her.

"The Galra really did try and exterminate us?"

"Yes, but there's more to the story."

* * *

The conversation between Romelle and Allura was going so well that neither of them noticed the time passing. Allura learned that Romelle really had no idea how great of a people they used to. Her anger towards Lotor burned white hot. She couldn't wait to get a new castle and get every last Altean off that forsaken planet.

"Oh, I wish we still had the castle," Allura sighed, resting her head against the wall. "It had all our history on its mainframe. You could've learned so much better than from me."

"No, don't say that!" Romelle assured her. "There's no one better to learn from than our own princess."

"Thank you for saying that. Can I be honest with you, Romelle?"

"I wouldn't want anything else."

"I was a princess brought up in wartime. And ten-thousand years later, when I woke up, we had lost the war. I had lost my people. I don't know what it means to lead during times of peace. I know this is what we're all fighting for, the right to our freedom. But I'm scared of the other Alteans. I'm not their princess. I'm not anyone's leader now." She closed her eyes.

Romelle took a long look at Allura. Although Allura doubted herself, there was no denying that she was a princess. The energy that flowed through Allura was unlike anything that Romelle had ever encountered. It was electrifying and peaceful at the same time. Romelle knew that once the Alteans met her, they too would have no doubt. Romelle placed her hand on Allura's knee.

"You are our princess, Allura. You're going to lead us to do great things. I can feel it. Things are just a little unclear at the moment." This was the third person to comfort her in a short time. And Romelle didn't even know Allura well. Allura felt her throat close a little.

"Can I give you a hug?" Romelle asked. Allura nodded and let Romelle wrap her arms around her. It was so warm and comforting. After a moment, Allura relaxed and hugged her back. Romelle wouldn't say, but Allura's aura left her breathless. There was so much _power_ in her. Romelle decided that, yes, she liked Allura.

"We're friends now, princess," Romelle said, pulling back from the hug. Allura laughed.

"Yes, I suppose we are," she agreed. "Thank you, Romelle. It feels weird, in a good way, to have another Altean here. But, I'm glad you are."

There was a new fire in Allura. Lance was right. She has her own people to fight for now. It made this war harder. It became personal in a way it hadn't been before. It was no longer avenging her people but, rather _protecting_ her people. She was going to win this war. No one was going to hurt the Altean people ever again, so long as she was alive.


	3. Chapter 3 Dance Party

Thank you to everyone reading, following, and favoriting this story! You all mean so much to me! I have around 8-ish chapters planned so please bear with me. I hope you enjoy. ^^

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Chapter 3. Dance Party

"Do you know what this dinner needs?" Lance asked around the campfire. The team exchanged clueless glances.

"Uh, no?" Hunk said. Lance sighed.

"Music!" Everyone's own idea of what good music is popped into their head. Allura's was traditional Altean, while Coran's was a _very_ different genre. Keith hadn't even actually thought about music in… years. Pidge and Hunk were similar in taste. Shiro would never admit that he kinda really liked pop. This was Shiro's first dinner with the team since his soul was bonded with the clone's body. Everyone had felt that it was time for Shiro to come back to the group since Earth was getting closer.

"Music?" Krolia asked. "That's not a bad idea…" The team stared at Krolia in shock. The usually cool Galra was shocked at their shock. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," Keith started, "It's just that you don't seem like the type of person who likes… music." Pidge, who was on Keith's right, nudged him with her elbow. He mouthed a 'What?' To which Pidge's eyes just widened as she nodded towards Krolia. Krolia surprised the group again when she let out a small laugh.

"I know music, Keith." She said with a sorrowful smile. "I have some favorites of mine from my childhood. And- and your father was fond of music. He introduced me to a lot of human music." The sound of collective, "Ah's," and, "Oh's," was not Krolia's ideal response.

"I love music!" Krolia tried to recover. "Keith's father even taught me how to dance."

"You can dance?" Shiro asked. No one would tell him, but the sound of his voice brought an extra sense of security back to the group. Lance's guilt had barely eased some since Shiro had been awake again. Shiro tried to tell him that there was nothing to feel guilty for, of course, but that didn't do much to ebb Lance's emotions. Lance was determined to make it up. He just hadn't figured out how yet.

"How do we get music?" Allura chimed in?

"I don't know," Lance admitted. "Pidge can't you rig something?" Pidge didn't even blink.

"Yeah," she answered coolly. "All we gotta do is tune into the surrounding radio waves or transmissions. I'm pretty sure the Lions could do that easily."

"It should be just like tuning into the radio," Hunk added effortlessly.

"It won't be human music, but space is filled with all kinds transmissions," Pidge concluded.

"Then go turn on the radio!" Lance declared, standing up from his seat. Pidge and Hunk shot up, excitedly running towards the Green lion.

"We should maybe-" Romelle was interrupted by a loud rhythmic drumming projecting from the Green Lion, "-clean up?"

"Does anyone know what this is?" Hunk asked, coming out of the lion. When all the answers came back negative, he radioed Pidge, who was still in the lion. "Change the station, P."

"Roger!" Pidge answered. The rhythmic drumming was replaced with a chorus of high pitched screeching. It was abruptly cut off. "Sorry, guys," Pidge announced, "That was not meant for our ears." Coran and Shiro both laughed it off.

The next station wasn't bad; the group just had no idea what kind of emotion the music was supposed to convey.

"I feel like I should punch something?" Keith said.

"Or cry?" Romelle added.

"Next station, Pidge," Hunk said. The next five stations weren't any better. During that time, the group had managed to clean up most of the dinner. Lance was starting to feel embarrassed. Maybe this wasn't the best idea. Just as he was about to call it off, Pidge changed the station.

Clear as day, a human language played through the camp. Pidge ran out of the lion, almost completely overwhelmed.

"Guys!" she yelled as she made it out. "Is this German?!" All the humans in the group collectively lost their minds.

"It is German!" Shiro confirmed.

"How the heck are there songs from Earth?" Keith asked.

"It must be an old transmission," Hunk answered. "We make so much noise on Earth that we've been broadcasting into space for centuries now. This song is probably a hundred years old, at least." The bass was building in the song.

"It's obviously old as heck," Lance answered. The drums started to beat faster. "But I kinda like it." Just hearing a language from Earth lifted his mood. The synth's melody was almost to the chorus. And when the beat dropped, the humans shouted a chorus of "Oh my god," and, "I can't believe this!" Hugs went all around and the dancing started.

To say that the group had bad dancers would be an understatement; they had some terrible dancers. Of the humans, Lance and Hunk were the best dancers, out dancing all the paladins. Pidge and Shiro were good and better than Keith at least. Of the Alteans Romelle was the best, followed by Allura and whatever Coran considered dancing. Krolia was the best out of everyone.

The upbeat music continued for a few songs allowing the entire group letting their guard down. Mostly. The trained officers in the group had one ear listening at all times. They had started as one group, everyone dancing with everyone until the genre took a sharp turn and a slow song began. The group stopped and nothing but awkward glances flitted between them. It was Shiro who broke the silence by asking Krolia to dance. She shyly accepted, which was a new look on her. Keith, despite spending two years with her, was finally seeing the softer, more vulnerable sides to his mother. They joined hands and Krolia placed her hand on Shiro's shoulder as he placed a hand on her waist. They weren't closer than they needed to be. Keith made his way to Allura.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked her softly. Allura's heart skipped a beat as she accepted. The other pairs that formed were Lance with Romelle and Pidge with Hunk.

"Looks like it's just you and me," Pidge said to Hunk.

"Yeah, and I'd rather not sit out like Coran." The two looked over to Coran who excused himself by saying he was too tired to go on. Hunk and Pidge held hands and swung their arms in time to the music while turning in a circle. Lance tried to be more of a gentleman with Romelle, even asking if it was okay to place a hand on her waist. She had giggled a yes and placed a hand on his shoulder.

On the other hand, Keith didn't ask Allura if it was okay to touch her. As soon as she accepted, he brought her into him, his left arm wrapping around her waist, his other hand grasping hers. They were chest to chest as Allura's hand held onto his shoulder, holding him close to her. They didn't turn in circles, instead merely swaying to the music. Their eyes stayed locked, each trying to convey their emotions without having to say them. Keith's warmth held Allura in place. While just having Allura in his arms was enough to make Keith want to quit this war and stay by her side. At the same time, they both felt the need to fight, to win, stronger than before.

It was Allura to first break eye contact by resting her head on Keith's shoulder. He really had changed. She held him tighter, closing her eyes. He rested his cheek on the top of her head. So much time had passed between them. Even the two weeks that had passed since their conversation at the foot of the Blue Lion had seemed like an eternity. _He's giving me space_ , she noted to herself.

"Princess?" Keith asked. She could feel the vibrations of his voice in his chest.

"Yes?" she answered, not looking up.

"Are you feeling better?" The concern in his voice was unmasked. He had to know that the healing process had, at least, started. He had to let her know that it was okay to be grieving. She sighed against his shoulder.

"I am feeling better," she whispered. "I'm still hurting but, I won't forget that I can count on my friends… That I can count on you." Keith kissed the top of her head.

The music had stopped a while ago but no one wanted to interrupt the two. It was a long time before either of them realized that the rest had gone to bed. But even when they did, neither of them wanted to let go. It was Keith who relaxed his arm around Allura's waist first. He lingered for a second more before releasing her and taking a step back. Allura looked into his eyes, a mess of emotions. He took her face in his hands, his thumb stroked her cheek, not minding if anyone else saw.

"Allura," he started, "I'm not leaving you anymore." The conviction in his voice was almost enough to bring tears into both of their eyes. "I'm going to stay here, by your side. Lean on me." He dropped his hands to his side, baring his heart out as best he could, as much as he could. The feeling he had for Allura were strong as they were true. He had spent so much time shoving his feelings to the back of his mind, trying to figure out who he is. But, now that he found his history, the emotions that had been buried for so long were desperately trying to climb out. He had to get the timing right. And now, six weeks after losing Lotor and the castle, was _not_ the right time. He knew that, as much as Allura had more healing to go, so did he. This was the best he could do.

Allura returned the gesture by placing her hand on his cheek, running her thumb down the scar that decorated his face. She reached up and kissed his other cheek.

"Thank you, Keith," she replied, before letting him go and walking away to the Blue Lion. Keith's hand touched the spot where she kissed him, the heat of her lips still lingering. He had to make sure never to go back on his promise. He had to make sure he became a man able to stand next to her.

He looked back to the quiet camp where Lance and Pidge were staring at him. He waited for the blush to color his cheeks but, it never came. He realized that he wasn't embarrassed by the affections they had so openly shown. That was until Lance and Pidge smiled with an all too familiar gleam in their eyes.

"Oh, Allura!" Pidged feigned a deep voice. "I _love_ you!"

"And I you, my dear paladin!" Lance replied in an equally horrible high pitched voice. The two were reduced to a fit of giggles.

"Shut up," Keith grumbled, making his way to where they were sitting by the fire.

"Have you always been this in love with the princess?" Pidge asked innocently.

"When did you realize it?" Lance asked as well. Keith didn't answer, the heat in his cheeks finally decided to show up.

"Was it love at first sight?" Pidge asked with a gasp.

"Not at first sight…." Keith mumbled, avoiding their gazes.

"Oh my god," Lance gasped, "He's been in love with her this whole time!"

"That's actually kinda adorable," Pidge added, trying not to make Keith feel any more embarrassed. It didn't help.

"Psh, thanks," Keith said, staring at the fire.

"She loves you, too, you know?" Pidge added. "I think it's good that you're not rushing anything."

"Thanks, Pidge," Keith said more sincerely. Lance let out a dramatic sigh causing the other two to look at him. It was a few moments before Lance looked at them though.

"Good luck, man," Lance finally said. Everyone knew about Lance's crush on the princess but there was no malice, no jealousy, in his voice, nothing but true goodwill and hopefulness for his friend. Keith was taken aback, surprised and grateful.

"Thank you," Keith said back, truly meaning it. Lance nodded at him once before announcing that he was going to sleep in his lion. After good nights were said, Pidge turned to face Keith.

"I hope you know we're all rooting for you two," she said with a smile. "You guys give us hope." She patted his shoulder before rolling out her sleeping bag and crawling in. She was asleep in no time.

Keith stayed up for a few more minutes, thinking about the events that happened. It was quite a bit to process but they weren't bad things. It was actually a really good night. He hoped that meant that good things were in store for them.


	4. Chapter 4 Last Night in Space

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy! ^^

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Chapter 4. Last Night in Space

The last night in space brought with it a whirlwind of emotions. Most of them ended in crying. It was confusing, to say the least. Suddenly, all the things that families fight over felt like the most insignificant problems. Pidge, Hunk, and Lance were scared. For Pidge, seeing her mother would be a relief. She had set out to find her father and brother and she did just that. Her father should've made it back to Earth; she was sure he would tell her mother that she was fine. Pidge hoped she made her mother proud.

Hunk was excited to see his parents and his sister again. He had been gone, away at the Galaxy Garrison for a year before finding the Blue Lion. The guilt of leaving his parents almost came back to crush him. He knew that they had been fighting for Earth's freedom more than anyone has back on the blue planet. Still, being so close, in such a long time made him want to cry. He had missed his parents.

Lance went over the names of his younger siblings, _Marco, Luis, Veronica_ , names he had never forgotten. Being away from home took the biggest toll on Lance. He joined the garrison to protect his family, to provide for his family. And, although he was doing just that, he knew his sudden disappearance would've dealt a big hit to the family. He wondered if they thought he was dead. He wondered if they had a grave for him. If his father had put it up, did his mother fight him? Did the family disagree with their speculations about him? The worry that he pushed aside to fight for the universe ate at his heart.

Shiro thought about his father. They weren't on good terms. He hadn't really talked to his father since his mother died and he left for the garrison. He knew that his first disappearance from the Kerberos mission must have hurt him. His father had called him and told him to come back right before that mission. It was a short call, not more than five minutes, but it helped him get through the mission. He, like the rest of the paladins, felt guilty for leaving.

Except for Keith. There was no one back on Earth waiting for him. The only thing there for him was his father's grave. He wanted to pay his respects. He also wanted to take Krolia to visit her beloved's resting place. He had some things to say to his father. The question now was what would be the first thing to do when they got to Earth?

The group sat in their lions, on a moon, on the edge of the milky way. Pidge had reported that there weren't any breathable atmospheres nearby. They ate a dinner of freeze-dried rations. Their faces on each other's monitors.

"Thank goodness we'll be on Earth soon," Hunk said while chewing, "I can stomach this as long as I know Imma eat good tomorrow!" Pidge laughed with him.

"Speaking of which," Pidge started, "Are we gonna be able to see our families first?" Her voice was small, almost as though she was scared of the answer.

"I think, time is of the essence," Shiro began, "You're in charge, Keith. What do you think?" Keith thought about it. It's been two months since they fought Lotor. They knew from experience how quick the Galra empire put itself together. But, even with Lotor as emperor, the factions were far and many. Keith hoped that this meant it would be even harder for Haggar to gain control again. Keith could feel everyone's eyes on him. He looked at each and every one of them.

"I think we can spend one day at home," he said confidently but softly. Lance's heart jumped at the thought of seeing his family again.

"Let's hope we don't attract too much attention with these lions," Hunk added, looking a little bit worried.

"Not if they don't notice us," Allura piped up from the Blue Lion. She continued, "Pidge, do you think the cloaking device could keep us undetected from Earth's radar systems?"

"Uh, yeah, actually," Pidge started. "Earth is way behind in technology compared to the lions."

"But only the Green Lion has the cloaking," Lance replied.

"We'll leave the other lions on Phobos, one of Mars' moon," Keith said. "We can make it to Earth in the Green Lion and Pidge can just drop us off. It shouldn't take that long."

"It shouldn't," Hunk added, "the lions are pretty fast."

"We'll spend a day secretly on Earth and then come back with Voltron?" Shiro didn't sound too convinced.

"I can stay and guard the Lions!" Romelle offered.

"As can I," Coran added. No objections were brought up.

"Then it's settled," Keith said. "Let's go home," he added softly. He ended the full-screen communication and called Allura, Romelle, and Coran in the Blue Lion.

"I'm sorry about the 'Let's go home' comment. I didn't mean to be insensitive to your situation." Keith apologized. Allura's smile was comforting, as was Romelle's.

"We understand, Keith," Coran answered. "It's good that you and the paladins have a home. We're glad to see you return. There's nothing like a home-cooked meal to lift your spirits." Keith smiled at the advisor.

"Thank you, Coran. We'll be counting on you tomorrow. And you," Keith nodded to Romelle as well.

"I plan to do my best," Romelle replied with confidence. Keith said a goodnight and ended the call.

Tomorrow was going to be a big day.


	5. Chapter 5 Homecoming

Hello everyone! Thank you for reading! I really appreciate it. Just a note that I took a _lot_ of liberties cuz we have no info on their families so cool thing this is fanfic lol I hope you enjoy

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Chapter 5. Homecoming

The small blue planet was a sight for sore eyes. Memories of Earth seemed like they happened in another life, fake and distant. Lance's tears wouldn't stop flowing. Hunk was holding him close and they entered Earth's atmosphere.

"Okay," Pidge started, "So, Hunk, Keith, Lance, Shiro, and then me?"

"That's right," Shiro confirmed the drop off order. Pidge let out a breath. This turned out not to be that big of a trip. Hunk was going to Seattle, Keith to Phoenix, Lance to Havana, Shiro to New York, and Pidge to Houston. Krolia was going with Keith. Right before leaving, Allura opted to stay back with Blue.

"Someone who can pilot a Lion should stay," she insisted. Keith didn't want to openly tell her that he wanted her to come with him. But, he did see her point. Today was about family. Krolia was Keith's family. Visiting his father's grave was something he needed to do with his mother first.

Hunk gave his address to Pidge, who found it with no problem. Hunk's home was a small place on the outskirts of Seattle. The sky was grey, with a light sprinkle wetting the ground. There were no cars in the driveway.

"No one's home," Hunk mumbled. "Hey, does anyone know what day it is?"

"Lemme check," said Pidge. "Oh, it's September 14th."

"How long have we been gone?" Lance's voice quivered. Pidge gasped but didn't answer. "How long have we been gone?" Lance asked again.

"Thr- three years…" Her voice was small. Lance and Hunk's heart broke. It had been four years since Hunk's family has seen him, three years since they talked to him.

"Three years?" Lance whispered, falling to the floor. Hunk swallowed before speaking.

"Alright, Pidge, let me out."

"Are you sure?" Shiro asked. "It's raining." Hunk shook his head.

"It's alright, this is nothing." The team was mostly silent as he left.

"Good luck," Shiro called out to him.

Hunk couldn't see the Green Lion but he felt when it left. He took a deep breath and prayed that his family still lived here. He walked to the door and, although there were no cars, knocked. He waited a few moments and knocked again. After another moment, he was surprised to hear the door unlocking. A familiar face peeked from behind the door.

"Hello?" The big brown eyes staring back at him widened before watering.

"Hey, Tama," Hunk said softly. His older sister threw the door open, her hands flying to cover her mouth. She let out a cry, falling to her knees. Hunk caught her before she could hit the ground. His sister was two years older and the same size as him. He caught her in a hug and went down to the floor with her. She cried and wrapped her arms around him.

"Where have you been?" Tama cried.

"Where do I begin?" Hunk said trying to laugh it off. Tama took his shoulders and pulled back, taking a good look at his face.

"You look exactly the same," she whispered. "Four years and you look exactly the same…" Hunk gave her a sad smile. "Oh my god! I have to call mom and dad! They left for church, hopefully mom will see her phone. Come in before you get sick like me." Tama ushered her brother inside and closed the door.

Hunk walked around the house as he listened to his sister trying to call their parents. He got to his room and hesitated. Opening the door, he realized that his room wasn't his anymore. It was his sister's. He laughed, why would it be the same? His parent's room was the same, and his sister's old room was an office. _Oh, that's right_ , Hunk remembered, _we changed her room when she left for college_ … So when she came back, and Hunk didn't, they gave her his room.

"Mom doesn't believe me but, they're on their way back," Tama said coming behind Hunk. He didn't say anything, his hand still lingering on the door knob.

"Dad didn't want to give me your room, you know," she started. "Two years after you were gone, I finished school and came back… I didn't want it either. But mom didn't want me on the couch… I stayed on the couch for another year, though. I've only had it for, like, four months." She placed a hand on his shoulder. A few minutes later, Hunk heard the car pull up. Tama rushed to the door, holding it open. Hunk's father ran through the door.

"My boy!" He yelled and rushed to scoop Hunk into a hug. A second later, and Hunk could feel his mother also hugging him. She pulled him into a hug of her own and kissed his cheek, tears mixing in.

* * *

In stark contrast, the sky above Phoenix was a crystal blue, the temperature at 105 degrees. Keith realized that he didn't have any money. Or a home to go to. Or how he was going to hide Krolia.

"Pidge," Keith started, "I'm sorry to ask this of you but, could you come pick us up in a few hours?" He explained his concerns and saw hesitation in Pidge's eyes. It wasn't fair to cut into the time with her own family, but what else could Keith do? There was nothing there for him. Shiro placed a hand on Pidge's shoulder and she sighed.

"Okay," she said as she opened the walkway for Keith and Krolia, "I'll call you when I'm on my way back."

"Thank you," Keith said, squeezing her other shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah," she said, waving him off. "I'll see you guys later."

Keith kneeled in front of Lance before leaving, taking his hand.

"They won't be angry with you, Lance," Keith whispered. "You're their son, their brother. They love you. You don't have to beat yourself up over what happened. You couldn't have run from this." Lance didn't respond but squeezed Keith's hand. Keith gave him a nod before leaving with Krolia.

Pidge had dropped them off a few blocks from the cemetery. Luckily for them, they were the only ones crazy enough to be outside.

"I forgot about this heat," Keith mumbled, taking off his jacket and covering his head. Krolia chuckled, closing her eyes and lifting her face to the sky. She sighed.

"It's been so long since I've been here," she said quietly, looking back to Keith. "I forgot how much I loved the heat." Keith smiled and began walking towards the cemetery.

Neither of them spoke when Keith stopped in front of the headstone. There were no flowers, there were patches of dirt where the grass died in the heat. It was a cruel reminder that no one had visited. It broke Keith's heart.

"Hey, dad," he choked on his closing throat. Tears that he had been fighting finally showed up. Krolia looked at the grave, mostly dirt and dust. The man that loved her, that raised her son, was there in the burning heat. Her own tears rolled down her cheeks. She put her hand on Keith's shoulder.

"Hello, my love," she whispered. Keith fell from under her hand to his knees. He held his head in his hands, the sobs shaking his shoulders. He hadn't visited his father in three years, five years in his own confusing way. The grave of his father was a painful reminder of how alone he had been. How angry he had been when Shiro first disappeared. How easy it was to leave Earth in the first place.

Krolia looked down to her son, a son who never knew a mother, whose father was taken too early. Her son was a boy forced to grow up, a man barely starting to work through his traumas. The two years in the quantum abyss had shown them a lot about each other but not everything and not emotions. The pain coming from Keith was more than any memory could've prepared her for.

She got down on her knees and took her son into her arms. Keith reacted immediately, wrapping his arms around her waist, burying his head in her shoulder. She let her tears fall, patting Keith's head.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. She pulled away and held his head in her hands. He avoided her eyes, staring at the blurry ground. "Your father would be so proud of you, Keith. So proud. You've grown into the kind of man he would've wanted you to be. You're the kind of man _I_ imagined you'd be." She brought him back into a hug.

It took awhile for Keith to calm down and regain some composure. He sighed and pulled back from the hug, taking Krolia's hands in his.

"Sorry," he mumbled, looking at his father's grave. "I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed by… by everything." Krolia wiped away the few tears still running.

"You have that right, Keith," she began softly. "Listen to your own advice. 'You don't have to beat yourself up over what happened.' You didn't run from this."

Keith smiled at his mother, his emotions trying to settle down. He usually preferred not to be touched but, in this case, he didn't mind be held. He actually welcomed it but he wouldn't tell Krolia that. Shifting his legs, he sat criss-crossed and rested his elbows on his knees, facing his father.

"Hey, dad," Keith began again, "Look who I found."


	6. Chapter 6 The Lost Sons

I just really wanted to explore what would happen when the team gets back to Earth. Thank you for reading! ^^

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Chapter 6. The Lost Sons

It took Shiro and Pidge five minutes to pull Lance out of the Green Lion. It wasn't that he didn't want to see his family. He was scared. Learning that three years had gone by physically hurt him. He was the oldest. He was supposed to protect his family, provide for them. He was off fighting for the sake of the universe but somehow that seemed less daunting than facing his mother. And his siblings! What did they look like? Three years changes the face of a teenager a lot. According to Pidge, they had all aged a year in space. So, here he was, eighteen when he would've been 20. He would've graduated from the garrison, flown pilot missions to the Moon and Mars, sent money home, put his siblings through college. He felt like he had nothing to show for the year he spent in space, the three years on Earth. He made a decision, one that he didn't regret, but one that he felt horrible for. One that he'd do again.

His shaky legs took him to his apartment. He was about to walk up the stairs that would take him to his door when he heard a gasp followed by a, "My god!" He looked under the stairs to see an old woman watering her plants. Lance stepped around the stairs to face her.

"Mrs. Dominguez?" he asked cautiously. Her wrinkled old hands dropped the watering can and she gripped the rosary around her neck.

"My god," she started in Spanish. "Lance, my boy, is that you?" Lance cleared his throat and rubbed his hands on his pants. Despite the heat, he kept his jacket on.

"It's me," Lance started, the Spanish falling comfortably back on his tongue. "Do you know if my family's home?" He didn't mean to sound like a lost kid but, at that moment, it's what he felt like. Mrs. Dominguez took a good look at Lance. His eyes were still red and swollen. His voice was hoarse and his shoulders leaned forward. She saw in his eyes the war he had been fighting. She reached for his arm and patted his bicep.

"My boy, I'm sorry. Your family doesn't live here anymore. I don't know their new address." It was Lance's worst nightmare. He almost went into panic mode before Mrs. Dominguez continued, "But, I have your mother's number. I'll give her a call, okay?"

He took a staggered breath and nodded.

"Could you not tell her it's me?" Mrs. Dominguez smiled and nodded before leading him inside her small apartment. It didn't take long for Mrs. Dominguez to get the new address.

"I told your mother that a package came to the old address and that I'm sending it to her," the old woman smiled with her lie. But it was gone with her next line. "I don't know where you've been, or what you've done, but it looks like you went through hell. Your mother cries every day for you, Lance. You need to be more careful with her heart."

Lance dropped his head.

"I understand," he said softly. "How long ago did they move?"

"About a year ago," the old woman said. "Each one of your family came to me and gave me their number. They said to keep an eye out for you. Separately." She laughed to herself. "They all miss you, Lance. I won't keep you anymore but promise to tell me what happened?"

"I will, thank you." Lance hugged her and took the new piece of paper with the address on it. He walked around the streets he used to know, noticing what had changed and what had not. His favorite ice cream shop was still there, the liquor store was not. The new apartment wasn't far from the old one. It was on the first floor, he noted. _Dad's knees must be getting bad_ , Lance thought. He turned the corner and was halfway down the block when he noticed a group of kids approaching from the opposite direction. Three kids to be exact. They were laughing; they looked happy. Lance met them in the middle, at the entrance to the apartment building. He stood in front of them, blocking their path, his heart beating so fast he couldn't feel it. He recognized his siblings in an instant.

"Excuse-," the oldest one started before seeing who he was talking to, "-me." His three siblings stared in disbelief. So did Lance. He did the math; Marco was eighteen, the same age as him. Luis was sixteen now and Veronica was fourteen. They had all grown up so much. Marco and Luis were the same height as him now. Veronica's face was slimmer, her hair longer, and she was wearing makeup. Makeup? Lance almost lamented not being able to make fun of her when she first put on eyeliner. Veronica was the first to snap out of the shock. She threw her arms around Lance's waist. She was taller, too, the top of her head reaching his collarbone. He hugged her back immediately.

"We thought you were dead," she cried, sobbing into his shirt.

"I'm sorry," Lance said. He looked at his brothers. "I'm sorry." Luis dropped the bag Lance didn't notice he had and hugged him. Lance took Luis under his right arm and Marco under his left. Some of the fear that had gripped his heart faded away. It felt good to be surrounded by his siblings again. They stayed, huddled in a hug, for a few moments, everyone sharing tears. Marco broke away first but Lance kept a hand on his shoulder. Marco's eyes held the same hurt Lance was sure his mother had.

"We really thought you were dead," Marco began. "The garrison told us you were dead," he finished in a quiet voice. Lance found out that his heart was capable of multiple breaks in one day.

"They said I was dead?" His voice cracked on the last word.

"You and your friends," Luis added, also breaking from the hug. "A freak accident. They said there was a gas leak."

"An explosion," Veronica mumbled, her face still in his chest. "There was no body to send home…"

"No- I… I'm not dead," Lance started.

"That's what Mom said," Marco said. "She never believed that that's how you'd die. She was convinced it was a cover-up… They fought a lot over it…"

"We all fought over it," Veronica said.

"Is mom and dad home?" Lance asked.

"Yeah," Marco said. "We went to pick up his hip medicine and get some snacks."

"Hip?" Lance asked, confused. "What about his knees?"

"Those too," Veronica said, finally letting Lance go to hold his arm. "He's gotten worse," she added quietly. Lance sighed.

"Let's go inside," Lance said. "I'll explain everything to everyone all at once."

They walked through the gate and down the path to a small courtyard. Their new apartment was the last one on the left. Marco decided that Lance should walk in last. Lance could see how in the last three years, Marco became the oldest, taking on all his old responsibilities. The guilt came back and Marco opened the door.

"Mom!" He called, "Come to the living room!" Lance's father was sitting on the couch, watching tv.

"You got my medicine?" he asked. Lance's heart jumped hearing his father's voice for the first time in so long.

"Why?" Lance heard his mother call back.

"Just come!" Luis said, excitement in his voice.

"Yes, papa," Veronica said, handing him the bag that Luis had dropped.

"What? What is it?" Lance's mother asked, walking into the living room. "Close the door, you're letting the cold air out!"

"We will," Marco said. "But first, sit down. There's someone here." Lance's mother let herself be guided to the couch by Veronica.

"Who? Who's here?" Everyone could hear the desperation in her voice. Lance was glad that he's the exact person his mother wanted to see. He took the step into the apartment, the door closing behind him.

"Me," Lance said. If his parents would've been standing they would've fallen. But, since they were sitting, they jumped up.

"My son!" Lance's mother cried. She ran to him, taking him into her arms, wailing, "My son! My boy. He's come home. God gave me back my son!"

"I'm home, mom," Lance said, holding her just as tight as she was holding him.

"Is it really you?" Lance's father asked, tears rolling down his cheeks. He stayed by the couch, afraid to move. "They said you were dead."

"Roberto, don't say that!" His mother yelled, releasing Lance but keeping one arm around his waist.

"That's what they told us, Lorrena," Roberto defended himself. "Why wouldn't I believe them?"

"I told you he wasn't! I felt it in my heart he was still alive. That stupid garrison had too many holes in their story." Lance took a step towards his father, breaking away from his mother.

"I'm sorry, dad," he started. "I'm so sorry." Lance fell to his knees in front of him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Roberto looked at his son and knelt in front of him.

"Is it really you?" Lance nodded. Roberto hugged Lance and cried with him.

"Sit up here with me," Lorrena said, pulling the two of them up. Lance sat in between his parents, while Luis and Veronica sat on the smaller couch, and Marco brought a chair from the dining table.

"Start from the beginning," Marco said. "Tell us everything."

* * *

Shiro had no idea where his father might be. The last time he checked, his father was still in his own apartment. But it was getting harder for him to be on his own.

"I know we've asked a lot from you today, Pidge," Shiro began, "But, could you do one more favor and search for my father?"

"Yeah, I just need a name and age." Pidge smiled at Shiro. The two were in the Green Lion in upstate New York, hiding in the trees.

"Takashi Shirogane, age 73." Pidge looked up at Shiro. "Yes, same name! My granddad also had the same name," Shiro defended himself. Pidge laughed.

"I'm not judging," she giggled. "It's kinda cute. You're named after your father." Pidge's fingers flew as she hacked into New York's citizen registry. "Oh," she said quietly, "I found him."

"Where is he?" Shiro asked, concern leaking in his voice. Pidge sighed. Why couldn't they have some good news?

"He's at Saint Mary Catholic hospital, in the ICU." Shiro felt his heart in his stomach.

"Why?" he barely breathed. Pidge was in the hospital's records in no time.

"He had a heart attack two weeks ago. And it looks like this was the second heart attack in one year. So, they're keeping him for observation." Shiro could feel his hands go cold. Pidge looked up at him. His face was a mask. She got up from her seat and hugged him. She looked up to Shiro. He was their leader; their original foundation. He had also become the second older brother she always wanted. She tried to understand his emotions but fell short. Her family was taken away from her suddenly, she had no time to prepare. She didn't see them die. Shiro was about to walk to his father's deathbed. Shiro gave her a pat on the head.

"Thanks," he said, "Can you get me closer?" Pidge nodded and got back in her seat.

She got as close as she could to the city without being completely noticeable. Shiro still had to walk a couple of miles to the hospital. During that time he thought of what he would say to the nurse. He couldn't think of anything creative. Before he knew it, he was walking through the sliding doors and at the desk.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked.

"I, uh, I'm looking for the ICU?" The receptionist smiled.

"To check in for the ICU go ahead and go down this hall right here, and make a right, there's another desk there," the receptionist motioned to Shiro's left. Shiro said a quick thanks and went on his way. At the second check-in, he was just as nervous.

"Hi," he started again, "I'm here to see my father? Takashi Shirogane." The nurse smiled.

"Sure, can I see an I.D.?" An I.D.? Shiro couldn't remember the last time he had one. But some quick thinking came into play and he reached for his pocket like he had a wallet. When it was obviously empty, he made a show of checking all his pockets and even looking on the floor.

"I'm sorry, I can't seem to find it. I know I had it on me," he gave her a worried look. "Imma go retrace my steps; I'll be right back." He didn't let nurse respond before he was off searching for his pretend wallet with his non-existent I.D. After a few minutes, he came back.

"Did you find it?" the nurse asked hopefully. He looked defeated.

"No, damn. I took the subway here. There's no hope." He brought up a hand to run through his hair. "Damnit," he muttered, he placed his hands on his hips and looked at the floor. The nurse took a look at him and typed something on her computer.

"What was your father's name again?"

"Takashi Shirogane." The nurse nodded to herself and picked up the phone next to her keyboard. She punched in a number before facing Shiro again.

"I can't authorize you inside because we need that I.D. for verification. _But_ , if Mr. Shirogane wants to see you, he can authorize you himself and then I can let you in." Shiro smiled as relief flooded through him.

"Thank you so much. That means a lot to me." The nurse smiled as someone picked up the line.

"Hey, Nance, it's front desk. Can you put me through to room 312 for patient authorization? Thanks… Good morning, Mr. Shirogane. There's a man here to see you. A-," she looked at Shiro for his name.

"Takashi Shirogane," he said. She gave him the same look Pidge gave him earlier and repeated it into the phone. There was a pause.

"Mr. Shirogane? Are you still there? Yes? Oh, okay. Thank you, Mr. Shirogane. Have a nice day." The nurse hung up the phone and filled out a visitor's pass. She pressed a button and the doors to the right began to open.

"Go ahead and walk down to the end of the hall, make the left and his room is going to be on the right." The nurse smiled as Shiro gave his thanks again. Once inside the doors closed slowly behind him. Somewhere in his heart, he knew this was going to be the last time he saw his father.

He stood in front of the door, a hesitating hand on the handle. His mother died when he was sixteen. And when she was gone, he realized he didn't have a relationship with his father. It all fell apart. He transferred himself to the garrison in Arizona, the furthest he could get. And they were on speaking-when-necessary terms. Shiro didn't go home for the holidays. And the last they spoke was the night before Shiro left on the Kerberos mission, four years ago. Shiro swallowed all his pride, resentment, hurt, and anger. He opened the door and his heart immediately softened.

His father lied in the bed, IV's in his arms, oxygen in his nose. His skin was paper-pale, fragile. He had lost most of his hair. His breaths were staggered with long pauses. He was wheezing. It was a man on his deathbed. Shiro sat down in the chair to his father's right. Shirogane Senior opened his eyes, a feat that looked like it took all his energy, and looked at his son.

"This isn't my son," he said in a low, raspy voice. "My son died years ago."

"I did," Shiro didn't try to explain. There wasn't enough time. "I died. But, I'm back for you now." He offered his hand to his father. To his surprise, and relief, his father took his hand. Shiro could feel how weak his grip was.

"I have many regrets, my son," his father said, staring into Shiro's eyes. "My biggest regret was pushing you away when your mother died… I'm sorry," he breathed the last words, speaking taking up too much energy. Shiro held his father's hand with both of his. He kissed his father's knuckles.

"I'm sorry, too, dad. I should've been there for you, too." Shirogane Senior shook his head.

"No," he said slowly. "I'm your father. It was on me. Please forgive me."

"I forgive you, dad. Of course, I forgive you," Shiro's voice broke. "I love you, dad."

"I love you, too, son," he breathed. "Tell me, where have you been?" Shiro got comfortable in his chair.

"Where do I begin?" He asked mostly to himself. "Well, when we got to Kerberos…"

He told his father all about his adventures, the ups, and the downs. His father listened and commented. It was late evening by the time Shiro finished.

"I see it in your eyes," his father said, "the war. The bloodshed. You carry it on your heart. You've been brave. I'm proud of you." At this, he placed his free hand on Shiro's cheek. "Your mother would be proud of you. I'll go tell her about it." He chuckled at his own joke. When Shiro didn't smile, he continued, "I've held on for _you_ , Takashi. I prayed to see _you_ one more time before I leave this world. And that prayer's been answered. I couldn't have asked for a better son. I've always been proud of you. I love you, Takashi."

"I love you too, dad," Shiro whispered.

"Remember when you were really little? And you used to come to sleep with me and your mother when you had a nightmare?"

"I think all kids do," Shiro said. His dad laughed again.

"Well, I'm afraid that you might think this is a nightmare. So, come here." His father moved over on the bed, creating some space for Shiro to lie down. Shiro chuckled but didn't protest. He lied next to his father, holding his hand, and resting his head on his father's shoulder.

"Goodnight, my son. I'll see you soon."

"Goodnight, dad."

…

It was a little past two in the morning when Shiro woke up. He knew immediately. He held on to his father as a nurse rushed in. When she saw the scene in front of her, she didn't say anything, quietly turned off the machines, and left. Shiro knew she would be back soon but, he was grateful for giving him the extra time.

Shiro cried.


	7. Chapter 7 Late Night Call

Thank you for the reviews! And thank you to everyone reading! I really appreciate it! So looks like this is going to be more than the original eight chapters I planned but that's okay lol. I hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 7. Late Night Call

Pidge spent two hours with her mother and father explaining the current situation. Her Mother cried through most of it. Pidge had almost forgotten that her mother had named her Katie. It was weird to be called anything but Pidge. The name had grown on her; it was who she was now. When she said she was leaving to pick up Keith and Krolia her father insisted to go with her, wanting another ride in the Lion. Pidge didn't know how her mother was going to react to seeing an actual alien but, there was no more preparing she could do.

"Mr. Holt, it's good to see you again," Keith said as he shook hands with Pidge's father.

"You too," Mr. Holt replied, taking in Krolia who was a good deal taller than him. "It's nice to meet you as well," he said reaching for her hand.

"I've heard a lot about you, Sam Holt. I hope you can help the paladins get a new ship." Krolia was back to her business-as-usual self. Mr. Holt gave a nervous chuckle.

"Heh, I sure hope so!" He said enthusiastically. Pidge lightly laughed at her father. It was a miracle finding him alive. It felt like a dream to Pidge that she was back on Earth, again, with her father and mother. Matt was still out there, fighting. She hoped that he knew she was safe. The fact that Voltron hadn't been seen in two months, or longer in some places, would worry him. She hoped he knew that she wasn't someone who would die easily.

Keith stood next to Pidge's right and placed a hand over her shoulder. She looked up and noticed his swollen eyes. She didn't comment on them but it chipped at her heart.

"Thanks for coming for us, Pidge," he said quietly. She gave him a small smile.

"Eh, don't worry about it," she patted his hand. "My mom's making dinner; you'll feel better when you've had some homemade food…from Earth!" She added the last part because homemade food had taken on many incarnations in space. Foods that she thought she had gotten tired of seemed liked heaven. She'd kill for french fries now.

…

Mrs. Holt didn't know how not to stare at Krolia. In her defense, she had been dealing with a lot in the past year. When her husband came back a year ago and told her that her son and her missing daughter were up in space fighting a galactic war she was sure she had lost her mind. When Katie's supposed death was told to her three years ago, Colleen Holt had lost the last of her family. Heartbroken she had closed herself off from the rest of the world. She lost the house. She lost her job. She had no one left.

The depression ate at her heart for two years. She was on the verge of ending it all when Sam came home. Knocking on the door of the rundown apartment, he looked like he had been to hell and back. It took Sam a whole month to convince Colleen that he was real and alive. It took another two months to get her back to a better place, mentally. Together they eventually bought a new, smaller house; the address of which Sam had been broadcasting in code that he knew Pidge would pick up. And now, a year after her husband came home, her daughter knocked on her door. Colleen thought that if she was crazy, she didn't care. She'd choose crazy and happy over sane and depressed any day. And, now, an alien, a whole foot taller than her, stood in her living room.

"You must be Pidge's mother," Krolia stuck out her hand, "It's nice to meet you." Krolia took in the small woman as well. They shook hands and Krolia noticed how small Mrs. Holt's were. She looked like the definition of the word mother. Krolia didn't regret her decisions. But, she hoped that there was a timeline where she would've been a mother like Colleen. After Keith introduced himself, he turned to Mr. Holt.

"What's happened on Earth?" Keith asked. Sam took a deep breath, as did Pidge.

"Sit down, son," Mr. Holt said gravely. When they were all seated, Mr. Holt continued, "It was not easy to get back, first of all. I thought that I would be welcomed back on Earth. And I know that was naive. But, I was hopeful. I was detained for six months as soon as I hit the ground. The garrison was on me like flies. They took all my files and data, or so they thought. I encrypted the files and then got them back when the garrison didn't find anything. I found out the official reports about you all.

"According to them, you, Katie, Lance, and Hunk are all classified as dead. While the other three died in a freak accident, you, Keith, are listed as a terrorist. Attacked the military base."

"It must've been when I was trying to break out Shiro…" Keith whispered to himself. Mr. Holt nodded.

"We were involved with that, too," Pidge added. "But it was probably easier to say we died in a freak accident than to say we were part of a terrorist act. Less questions from our families and the press. But, you-"

"I had already dropped out," Keith finished. "Someone to blame for the damages we caused."

"The garrison didn't take too kindly to me being alive, either," Mr. Holt continued. "Katie told me about how you guys kidnapped Shiro. And the garrison wanted answers. I told them everything, the truth. It was hard for them to accept. But I managed to convince them that I'm not a spy. I also got them to consider looking into some of the technologies I brought back. Earth needs a better defense. We're sitting ducks right now."

"You're right," Krolia said. "It's a wonder how so many battles have been fought in your vicinity, on your land, and no one even noticed."

"They're gonna notice tomorrow," Pidge said excitedly. "We can show Earth that we're not alone and that we're more than ready to take on the universe!" The ding of a timer startled the group.

"Oh!" Mrs. Holt said. "The lasagna's ready. Let's eat!" Mrs. Holt had set the table when Pidge had left earlier. Krolia and Keith sat next to each other, a little nervous. When Mrs. Holt brought the tray out, Keith's stomach growled louder than he would've liked. Colleen's heart squeezed as she imagined Keith as her own son. She imagined how she would make all of Matt's favorite food when he came home.

"I should've made more…" Mrs. Holt said as Keith and Pidge ate most of the lasagna. The two of them could remember pasta being good but had it always been this delicious?

When the night came, Pidge and her parents left Krolia and Keith in the living room.

"I'm sorry we don't have beds to offer," Mr. Holt said.

"No, it's not a problem," Keith said quickly, appreciatively. "It's better than sleeping on the floor or in a chair. Thank you."

"Thank you," Krolia said as well.

"Have a good night," Mrs. Holt said.

"See you in the morning," Pidge added. When they were alone Keith looked at his mother. She was settling down on the couch, throwing the blanket over her legs. She sighed as her spine could finally relax. Krolia looked at Keith who was still standing.

"You should go to sleep," she said quietly. Keith nodded.

"I will," he started. "I just… I have something I need to do." He left and went outside. He sat on the porch steps. He took the small communicator out of his pocket and held it in his hands for a while, debating. He had his jacket tied around his waist and thought about putting it on when a cold breeze passed. But, in the hot summer night, the wind was welcomed.

"Call Allura," he said without realizing, his heart making decisions for him. The loading screen popped up while he waited for Allura to pick up. The seconds went by slowly. He thought about hanging up multiple times until a sleepy Allura appeared on the screen.

"Hello?" She asked through a yawn. She squinted at the screen and rubbed her eyes.

"Um, hi," Keith started awkwardly.

"Keith?" Allura asked, suddenly aware of who she was talking to. "Is everything alright?" She sat up, her body tensing for bad news.

"Yeah, yes," Keith said quickly. "I just… I just wanted to check up on you… And Romelle and Coran. Were you sleeping?" He regretted adding Romelle and Coran to the list but he didn't want to come off as too strong. However, he hoped that Allura knew that he called just for her. She did and smiled.

"I was but, it's okay." Allura's heart squeezed over the fact that Keith called her when they were supposed to be with their families. Though, she supposed Keith's situation was different from the other paladins. "How did it go?"

"I think it went well. Pidge's parents are cute together. You can see the toll it took on her mother, though."

"Oh, poor Pidge," Allura said, her heart hurting for Pidge's mother. "How is Mr. Holt? Does he still have what we need?" Keith nodded.

"It's all here. But, Earth is still the Earth I know. If we didn't have Voltron, it would be impossible to convince them of anything tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" Allura frowned.

"I mean, we as humans, are pretty skeptical of things. The government tends to shy away from the unknown when things are comfortable. And tomorrow is going to be a big day in Earth's history…"

"It is," Allura agreed. "But, if we work together, I'm sure we can get through to them." Keith would've liked to think that the "we" Allura mentioned was just the two of them. But, he chose to think of it as the whole team. Keith smiled regardless.

"Yeah, I'm positive we'll do great tomorrow." It was Allura's turn to interpret the "we." And she decided that it was reserved for the two of them.

"How was your father?" Allura asked softly. Keith could feel his throat beginning to close, his breath caught in his chest. He looked away as he answered.

"It was what was expected," he said quietly. "Krolia and I both had some time alone with him. And together." Allura reached and touched her screen where Keith's cheek was. He continued, in a very small voice, "The grave was a mess." Allura wanted to comfort him, knowing his pain.

"That doesn't make you a bad son," she said softly. "Are you sure you want to go through with tomorrow? We can wait a little longer." She brought back her hand when Keith looked back at her. His eyes were determined.

"No," Keith's voice was strict. "We need to do this quickly. We need a castle; there are people depending on us to get back on our feet." The difference between defenses-down Keith and leader Keith was like night and day. Allura liked that she saw both of them. She wondered if everyone else did, or was it something reserved for her. Allura nodded and put on her bravest smile for Keith. Something that he picked up on.

"I'm by your side, Keith." The confidence in her voice calmed the nerves he didn't realize had taken hold. He only noticed his trembling hand when it was suddenly still.

"And I'm by yours, Allura," he said with as much conviction as he dared to reveal. Her leader side was different than his. Where he was head-on, Allura was step-back. They complimented each other in ways that they weren't aware of. In ways that the next day was going to make apparent. The two of them stared at each other, trying to read the unspoken words in their eyes. Keith wanted nothing more than to be back with Allura, to stand by her, take her into his arms, kiss- He stopped his train of thought before he said something he'd regret. Allura was ready for this war to be over. She wanted to see who Keith was when the threat of death wasn't hanging over his head.

"You can lean on me, too," Allura finally said. She extended the same invitation he had given her two months ago. Their friendship was muddled with their confused emotions. For now, this was the best they could do. They couldn't just hang out and do nothing together, couldn't be a normal pair of friends. They weren't a normal pair of friends. They were almost something before. And had been friends differently then. The wedge that was between them was making things awkward. Keith didn't want to rush Allura. And Allura didn't want Keith to wait. And yet, there were bigger problems that needed attention. This snail's pace would have to do for now. Keith's face softened at Allura's words. She noticed. He laughed to himself and sighed.

"Thank you, princess," he said. "Sleep well."

"Thank you," she said back. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Keith hung up and sighed. He ran a hand over his face and looked up to the star. He quickly found the bright dot of Mars. He said goodnight to Allura, the princess in the sky. He took a deep breath before going back inside. Locking the door he could hear Krolia's snoring, a sound he had become familiar with. Laying on the couch, he gave the same sigh his mother did as his own spine relaxed. He originally thought he wouldn't be able to sleep but, he was wrong. He was asleep as soon as he closed his eyes. His conversation with Allura soothed away most of his anxieties about the coming day. And Keith slept better than he had in years.


	8. Chapter 8 Negotiations

Hello everyone! This was a big chapter and I like the way it turned out lmao. Thank you for everyone reading ^^ I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 8. Negotiations

Keith and Pidge were up before six am. The two of them suited up in their paladin uniforms. Being back in the red suit felt good. Pidge's mother was on the verge of tears. Her daughter was a soldier of a war that hadn't reached her yet. Keith and Krolia were outside, waiting, as Pidge said goodbye to her mother.

"Don't worry, mom," Pidge said. "I'm going to be back. Keep an eye on the tv, okay?" Her mother agreed and hugged her. It was hard to let her go when she had lost her once. Mr. Holt was already getting the files ready for when the paladins would need them. The trio entered the Green Lion and left for Seattle.

Hunk said goodbye to a tearful family. He also gave his word that he'd come back alive. Hunk put on his uniform and showed his family right before leaving. The same sadness in Pidge's mother's eyes was reflected in Hunk's family.

Lance had trouble letting go of his mother. But when he did, he also changed into the blue uniform. His siblings' jaws dropped in awe of their older brother. His father told him to be careful, that war would eat his soul if he wasn't cautious. It was advice that the other paladins heeded as well.

The team picked up a weary Shiro a few miles out of the city. There was no one to send him off. He changed into his suit inside the Green Lion. The mood was a mixture of relief, happiness, grief, and nervousness.

"It's crazy how we're classified as dead…" Hunk said quietly as they left Earth's atmosphere.

"Tell me about it," Lance replied. "I'm pretty sure my dad still thinks I'm a ghost."

"You guys are dead?" Shiro asked softly. It was an unexpected tone. The entire team turned to stare at him.

"Yeah," Pidge started, "It was how they covered up us kidnapping you…"

Shiro nodded and crossed his arms.

"Are you okay?" Keith asked, preparing for the worst. Shiro closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"My father died last night…" His voice was so soft the team barely heard it. Keith was the first to hug Shiro. It turned into a group hug as Lance and Hunk also joined. Shiro welcomed the comfort. Even if his blood family was gone, he knew he had found a new one with Voltron. This was the family that saved his life time and again.

"Thanks, guys," Shiro said patting Hunk's head. "You can let go now."

"Nope," Lance said.

"Not a chance," Hunk said.

"Not yet," Keith added. Shiro chuckled and decided that a little longer wouldn't hurt.

"We're coming up on Phobos," Pidge announced, dissolving the group hug.

"How are we going to present ourselves?" Shiro asked seriously. "I can't be shown as the leader because I'm not." He looked at Keith.

"No, you're not," Keith started slowly. The rest of the group held their breath waiting for his next words: "I am."

"We call that character development," Lance said to Hunk nudging him with his elbow.

"We'll present ourselves as we are. I lead Voltron; I'll be the voice of us. But so will Allura. She's not only a part of this team, she's a princess of Altea." Keith stood taller, his shoulders down and back, his voice became firmer. His attitude change immediately rubbed off on the rest of the team, everyone either sitting or standing up straight.

"Pidge," Keith continued. "Did you and Mr. Holt figure out how to hack into the satellites?"

"Psht," Pidge scoffed. "After hacking into alien systems, Earth's have never been easier."

"Thanks, Pidge," Keith said. When the group landed on the small moon, Allura hailed their screen.

"You're back! How was it?" She asked excitedly.

"We've got mixed emotions, right now," Lance said.

"Oh," Allura frowned. "I'm glad you're all back safely. Is everyone ready for today?"

"We are," Keith said. Allura knew that Keith was already back in leader mode. The group made their way into their respective Lions. In the Black Lion sat Keith, Krolia, and the space wolf. Allura kept the Alteans with her. And Lance somehow ended up with the mice.

"Alright, team," Keith said when everyone was ready. "Form Voltron!"

The assembly was done smoothly and familiarly. They were on Earth in no time, landing in front of the Galaxy Garrison's headquarters in Nairobi.

"Pidge, go for communication," Keith said.

"Go for communication, calling Sam Holt," Pidge confirmed. "Hey, dad," Pidge said when he answered, "We're ready on our end."

"I'm ready here, too," Mr. Holt confirmed. "Initiating satellite disruption in 3...2...1!" At the same time, he and Pidge hacked into Earth's communication satellites, disrupting media signals and broadcasting their message to all of Earth. In the few moments that Voltron stood in front of the garrison, people had begun to record on their phones, blasting it out to all social media.

"Ready when you are, Keith," Pidge confirmed. Keith took a deep breath and calmed his nerves. He had been able to talk to other people of the universe just fine. But, there was something unnerving about talking to his own kind, to humankind. The garrison was now surrounding Voltron with military-grade hover vehicles. Keith had to speak quickly before they started shooting.

"People of Earth," Keith began, "My name is Keith Kogane. I am human. And I am a paladin of Voltron. We come to you now in peace and in need. There is a war approaching. We request a meeting with all world leaders for this is something that involves the fate of our entire planet."

"A little dramatic, no?" Lance asked.

"Shut up, Lance," Pidge replied.

"I am Lieutenant General Saunters. What do you really want?" A hardened old man asked through an amplifier. "You're hacking our systems; how friendly can you be?"

"We're broadcasting worldwide to stress how important this is," Keith replied. "We mean no harm. We'll disassemble now, but we won't come out until your guns back down."

"Ha!" The Lieutenant General scoffed. "Like hell, we'll lower our weapons. You'll 'disassemble,' however you call it, and then you'll be questioned."

"Sir!" Another soldier came running to the Lieutenant General and whispered something into his ear. At the new news, his head snapped back to Voltron.

"Keith Kogane, you said your name was?" Saunter's started. "Our records state that you're a dead terrorist. Who are you really?"

"Your records are mistaken. I am not a terrorist; I have never been. And, I am not dead. Please lower your weapons. We're not here to fight."

"This is going nowhere, Keith," Allura said.

"I know," he said, frustrated.

"Let's do what they ask for now," Allura suggested. "Though, I'm sure once they see we're not all human, there's going to be more friction."

"I don't want them locking you up for experiments, Allura," Keith said hastily. "That's what they were doing to Shiro when he got back. And he _is_ human." Keith cursed to himself before continuing to the Lieutenant General. "We'll come out. But we have some conditions. Not everyone here is human, we have life from all over the universe who are also fighting. Our condition is that we not be taken into custody."

"Those are some pretty steep terms," Saunters countered.

"Are you guys ready to be revealed?" Keith asked the group.

"We're famous everywhere else but Earth, hell yeah," Lance replied. Keith took another breath.

"My name is Keith Kogane," he started again, not for the garrison, but for the world. "This is Voltron and I am a paladin, pilot of the Black Lion. With me is Takashi Shirogane, a former Galaxy Garrison pilot kidnapped by alien forces. Princess Allura of Altea, pilot of the Blue Lion. Her advisor, Coran. And friend, Romelle. Krolia, a soldier fighting this war from the inside.

"Pilot of the Red Lion, Lance Diaz, former Galaxy Garrison student. Pilot of the Yellow Lion, Hunk Saluni, former Galaxy Garrison student. And Pidge Gunderson, aka Katie Holt, former Galaxy Garrison student.

"We have come back to Earth after fighting a war with an alien empire. They are called the Galra. They have destroyed countless other worlds and enslaved just as many. We have been fighting this war for those who cannot fight. We succeeded in overthrowing their emperor. We saw the rise of one even crueler. We have also defeated that emperor. But in doing so have suffered many losses of our own. We ask you to join the Voltron Coalition and help us protect Earth before this war reaches you."

Keith finally took a breath and said to the rest of the paladins, "Disassemble. Pidge, stop jamming." Pidge and her father both stopped their broadcast and returned the satellites back to normal. Saunters made the decision not to open fire. There was something in the conviction in Keith's voice that partially convinced him that he was maybe telling the truth.

"Keith," Allura started, "Let me do the talking." Keith knew that that was the better option. He agreed. The nine of them walked out of the Lions and into the barrels of guns. Looking out into the faces that surrounded them, Lance recognized the soldier who brought the news about Keith.

"Raymond?" Lance said, remembering the kid he had dorm-ed with his first year at the garrison.

"Lance, what are you doing?" Keith hissed.

"No, I know him," Lance insisted. "Raymond!" he called out. "Is it really you?!" The soldier looked at Lance and rubbed his eyes.

"Lance!?" Raymond called out.

"Back in line, soldier," Saunters barked. Raymond ignored him and took a step forward.

"It is! I'm alive!"

"Hot damn!" Raymond exclaimed as he ran to Lance. The two friends shared a hug. "They told me you were dead! It was so odd! The explosions were nowhere near our dorms! None of it made sense!"

"I've been off fighting in space!" Lance explained. "When did you get to headquarters?!"

"A few months ago! I did some pilot missions to the moon but this pays better!" The two old friends were caught up in catching up. Allura decided that this was the moment to speak.

"Lieutenant General Saunters!" She called out, taking a few steps forward, palms up and open. "Most of Voltron is made of _your_ own people. They have seen a war most vicious and still remain kind and gentle. I am Princess Allura of Altea. My entire family, planet, and people have been destroyed by the Galra Empire. An empire that is weakened but growing stronger the more time we waste. They are knocking on your door, Lieutenant General! If we don't act soon, they will eradicate Earth! We want to stop that from happening. We're here to serve and protect." Her voice had grown stronger and stronger with each word. The quintessence glowing from her hands was a warning that she was more powerful than humans could imagine. Although she couldn't actually hurt anyone with it, she and Keith had agreed that a little fear and awe might help calm down the humans in case of hostility such as this.

It worked.

"Lower your weapons," Sauntered ordered. However, it was more than the show of power that de-escalated the situation. Painfully aware of auras, Romelle had to steady her breath as Allura talked. Allura pushed her entire aura to surround every person within a twenty-mile radius. Though it radiated calm and peace, it's power almost knocked over Romelle. Allura didn't even seem to notice that she was doing it. Romelle looked to Coran standing next to her.

"Do you feel that?" she whispered. Coran smiled at the young Altean.

"The Princess is probably the most powerful Altean ever," he whispered back. "Her father always knew that she was going to change history." Romelle looked back to Allura, who was literally glowing. She took a deep breath, preparing for what might happen next. Keith walked to stand next to Allura.

"Lieutenant General Saunters," Keith began in a slow but firm voice. "Is General Imari still general?"

"Ha! That woman wouldn't step down even in death," Saunters laughed. General Imari was a fierce woman from Nairobi. She had grown up with the Galaxy Garrison in her backyard. As General of the Galaxy Garrison Headquarters, she had a massive sway in the decision making of the garrison.

"We need to speak to her," Allura said, importance latched on her every word.

"Good thing you showed up on her doorstep," Saunters said. "Follow me. We'll uphold your conditions."

A wave of relief almost flooded through Keith. He didn't trust humans any more than he had trusted them before Voltron. The military barricade parted down the middle, making a parade out of them. The whole team could feel the cameras catching their every move.

Inside the gigantic building, the team was on high alert, bayards at the ready. It almost felt wrong to be so cautious of their own kind but, the betrayals they had received taught them better. The people of Earth were a species who didn't know war with another species. So, they fought amongst themselves instead. In recent history, there had been a relative calm, the Galaxy Garrison serving as the bridge between nations. All nations sent students to schools around the world to be taught and trained with peoples from all over. The garrison served as Earth's defense system and galactic transport. With bases on the Moon and Mars, the garrison trained future scientists, pilots, and soldiers. Lance and Hunk could remember how much more rigorous the curriculum became after the Kerberos mission. The mission that changed all their lives, "The farthest humans had traveled." Shiro could almost laugh at how naive humans were. The farthest human from Earth was Matt Holt. Still fighting the Galra, everyone on team Voltron held him in their thoughts and hearts.

They were led down the grand hallways to ten foot, double doors. General Imari's office. Saunters looked back at them, still not over Krolia, before opening the doors. The doors swung open to reveal an aged woman, standing in front of an oak desk, her hands clasped behind her back. Keith walked in first, his head high, shoulders back, with Allura on his right and Shiro on his left. Krolia and Coran walked in behind them. Hunk, Lance, and Romelle tried to imitate the confidence that seemed to radiate from the first three. Pidge walked in with unresolved rage for the cover-up of her brother and father's mission. General Imari waited until everyone, including garrison soldiers, was in the room and the doors were closed. The sound of the door locking didn't surprise anyone.

"I'm going to save you the trouble of repeating yourselves," she began. Her voice was deep, quick, and sharp. "I know about every single one of you, save for the princess and her people. I have case files documenting every moment of your lives up until the day you left Earth. That includes you, Krolia." The statement sent a wave of shock through the group. "Your crash landing did not go unnoticed. Neither did your battle. Nor your son. Nor the Blue Lion." As much as Keith and the rest of the humans wanted to interrupt, they knew it was best not to. "Of course, we had no idea what the lion actually was, or what it does. However, we knew this day would come. Unfortunately, our technology is still a long ways off from…Voltron. It's good to know what it's actually called now." She finished by unclasping her hands and leaning back onto her desk. Allura recovered first.

"General Imari, it's quite a relief that you know so much already; we can skip that part. I am Princess Allura. Voltron was made by my father, King Alfor. My father fought the Galra Emperor, Zarkon, and lost. Before his death, he sent the Lions to hiding places all over the universe. My advisor and strategist, Coran, and I, are the last of our generation of Alteans. My friend Romelle, is a descendant of Alteans who were herded and slaughtered by the Galra. Krolia is a spy, working with a group called The Blade of Marmora. She is working with us against the Galra Empire. It was Krolia who first led the Galra away from Earth. And then, it was our paladins who led them away a second time. But with Voltron here, there will be a third. We are here to fight this war alongside you."

"I like the way you speak, Princess," General Imari smirked. "We figured as much. We knew the Kerberos mission wasn't human error." She looked at Pidge. "I apologize on behalf of the Galaxy Garrison for declaring your family dead. But, you should understand that there was nothing we could've done. Even now we are still outgunned and outmanned compared to the _one_ ship that took the Kerberos team. I hope you have a better solution."

"We do," Keith spoke up. "We sent Sam Holt back to Earth with blueprints to a ship that would help us tremendously. But, it's going to take the entire Earth to help build it."

"I don't think that'll be much of a problem." General Imari crossed her arms. "I'll call in some favors, but we should manage to get a conference set up for the day after tomorrow. I'll let you know when and where as soon as I know." She nodded to Saunters who unlocked and opened the door.

"Thank you," Keith and Allura both said.


	9. Chapter 9 The New Castles

Thank you to everyone reading! It means a lot to me ^^ I hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 9. The New Castles

Three days from landing on Earth, the team was sitting front row in an assembly hall in Singapore. The grand room was circular with eight levels of seats looking down into the middle. The mediator for the meeting was picked at random; today it was Peru, President Molina. It was the second day in negotiations. Day one was focused on whether or not Earth would assist Voltron and join the coalition. Or send them on their way. No one dared to suggest "capture and study." Though Voltron had not shown its power, most Earth leaders were content to see it aimed at an enemy instead.

Allura knew that the Castle of Lions was going to reveal a lot of power that humans didn't have. She wondered what they would do when this knowledge was revealed to them. Day two was focused on drafting plans to begin construction. Allura and Coran did most of the talking. Between explaining how the teludav works and what a Balmera is, the meeting turned into a lecture complete with Coran writing it out on a holographic board. Pidge was furiously translating into English, projecting her notes onto the smaller screens in front of the politicians. It was a long lecture.

"We need your best scientist," Allura said when Coran felt he had explained the best he could. "We need engineers and, most importantly, we need construction workers. We need people to build the new ship."

"What about us?" President Molina asked. "I don't have to poll the room to know that this question is on everyone's mind. We help you build this ship and then you go off and fight this war. What do we get?" It was Keith's turn to speak. He had talked to his team about the offer he was about to make. And they had agreed on it but, not with some reservations.

"You get a ship as well," Keith said standing up. "We are very much prepared to share this knowledge and technology with you. The rest of the universe is thousands of years ahead of Earth. I think it's time that we, as a species, really start exploring and trading with other life. We just ask that you remain peaceful and understanding." Keith left out the last part about being ready to strike down an empire before it starts. He hoped it was implied. The task of building two new ships was a massive burden on the paladins. They had to go out and bring back double the necessary supplies like scaultrite lenses and Balmera battleship class crystals. Fixing the first ship almost took the paladins out. They were about to be split up for a long time.

More than happy with the offer, it was a unanimous decision. Earth's leaders agreed to build two new castles, signing what was called the Voltron Summit. President Molina adjourned the meeting and the assembly was dismissed. A tired and weary team headed back to their hotel. In a show of power and goodwill, the five lions of Voltron were on display on the beach, a few miles from where the team was staying.

"God," Hunk started when they made it outside of the building. "I'm starving!"

"Me too," Pidge agreed, massaging her hand.

"Why don't we get something to eat?" Shiro offered.

"I would love to try some more human food!" Coran chimed in.

"Where's Lance?" Keith asked suddenly, looking around. The rest of the group looked around too.

"Where's Romelle?" Krolia also asked noticing the young Altean's absence.

"Oh!" Pidge exclaimed. "Isn't that them over there?" Pidge pointed to the pair, already a hundred feet away from the group, mixing with the crowd.

"Are they ditching us?" Hunk asked, offended.

"Looks like it," Shiro replied.

"How did they get past the guards?" Pidge asked, making a point to look at the ring of bodyguards surrounding them.

The group stood still in shock. It was Hunk who broke the silence by laughing. Seeing the two sneak away brought back a sense of normalcy. It was something that would've been done had they been just a normal group of friends hanging out. Hunk's laugh was contagious; the rest of the group joining in. The laughing was cathartic, releasing some of the tension that had built up during the meeting. The group relaxed a little as they started to lightly argue about where to eat. It was hard to walk down the street with so many people trying to get a glimpse of them. Maybe more of Krolia, since she was the most foreign. The space wolf came and went as it pleased. The new trend was posting pictures when it appeared in a new place. So far, the space wolf had seen more of Earth than any of the other paladins ever had. Last Keith checked it was in Paris. He had a feeling that the wolf just might like all the attention. Halfway to their eating location Allura spoke.

"Actually," she started, "If it's alright, I think I might retire for the night. I'm pretty worn out."

"I'll walk you back." Keith said before the princess could even finish. The glances between the group were not lost on Keith. He wondered if he had maybe been too forward.

"Thank you, Keith!" Coran said, a twinkle in his eye. "We'll see you soon!" And with that, Coran pushed Keith to Allura's side and waved them off. Two of the body guards broke off from the group formation to walk one in front and one behind Keith and Allura.

"Thanks for accompanying me," Allura said as they walked away. Keith shrugged, looking away, still staying close enough for their arms to occasionally brush. The wind was soft, playing with Allura's hair. It was in her classic updo and Keith couldn't remember the last time he had seen it down. Finally back on Earth, but in very serious meetings, they had gotten some new clothes. Keith felt awkward in the three piece suit some fashion designer had given him. Just like celebrities, they had gotten offers from all kinds of designers wanting them to wear their clothing. Krolia opted out, however, and stayed in her suit from the Blade. Romelle just made someone's career on Earth. And Allura made someone's career intergalactic. The gown she wore was much more different from her usual gown. She had worn her Altean gown for the first day of negotiations but felt it would be in goodwill to accept a human dress. It was a black turtleneck. Leaving her shoulders bare, it re-connected halfway down her biceps to flowing sleeves. The bodice of the dress was loose and smooth, with the subtle high-low hem ending in the middle of her shins in the front and barely touching the floor in the back. It was elegant and beautiful. And Allura wore it with all the grace and confidence of royalty. Keith felt more like her bodyguard than her equal. But then again, Keith never really felt like her equal; there was always more to prove, more to do. The hotel was in sight when Allura spoke again.

"Keith?" She asked, an emotion Keith couldn't place in her voice. He looked at her but she stared straight ahead.

"What is it?" Keith didn't notice anyone new following them. Had he let his guard down? Was there something he missed? He placed his hand on the exposed part of her arm, ready to move her out of harm's way. His eyes began to scan the area more critically. Allura's pace didn't break.

"Will you stay with me?" She asked. Her voice was smooth, calm. When she first said she wanted to go back, she had intended to go back alone. But Keith, forever her knight, offered to come back with her. And the proximity in which he stood next to her made her feel suddenly more alone. Keith had told her to lean on him. She wondered if she really could. She asked the question fully prepared to accept his rejection. As broken as her heart was, she knew that her relationship with Lotor had been shallow. Within the months that had passed, she realized that she was hurt over the betrayal and the lies, not so much that she had really liked him.

Keith, on the other hand, she couldn't live without. She knew that. The many times she made him promise to come back to them, back to her, told her that. He told her he wasn't going anywhere but, that was quickly thrown out the window. While Earth was organizing and getting ready, Voltron was going to be out in space, split up. Hunk and Pidge were going out for the Balmara crystals. Keith and Lance were going out for the scaultrite lenses. She and Shiro were going to get the smaller, specific things. And once the main materials were brought, there were going to be other missions to keep getting supplies. It was going to be difficult to go unnoticed. Allura hoped that being the farthest from a Galra outpost would give them some time. Coran had made some modifications to the Castle, making it faster and stronger. And, Coran hoped, less of a strain on Allura.

"Okay," Keith agreed, taking his hand off Allura. He had meant to say, "Of course," but panicked. He could see her shoulders relax as she tried to take a deep breath subtly. _She's nervous_ , he thought to himself. And as soon as he thought that, he became nervous. They had been alone before. Before Lotor and the Blade, there were always sparks. He could remember how his heart would skip, hands become sweaty. He also remembered the peace he felt, how he was where he should be. But so much had changed. Being next to Allura didn't bring the innocent feelings of a crush anymore. The need to protect her was stronger than ever before. He had been so scared when he returned with Krolia and Allura was with Lotor. He had been so scared that Clone-Shiro was right and they had all been killed. So fearful that he had lost the only people that ever mattered to him hardened his heart more than he realized. It didn't soften when all was done and they were alive; the walls stayed perfectly reinforced. If he wasn't careful, he would pull back and lose her once and for all. And he never wanted to lose her. Keith agreed to stay with her this night because he loved her. With every fiber of his being, he loved Allura.

Inside the hotel, the bodyguards escorted them to Keith's room so he could get a change of clothes. And then to Allura's room, they stayed posted outside her door. Once the door closed behind them- and they were really alone- the air thickened.

"I'm going to change," Allura said walking to the closet. She took out some clothes that had been gifted to her and went into the bathroom. Keith decided it would be more time efficient to change while Allura was out of the room. He stripped down as fast as he could to avoid a very awkward situation. He threw on his new clothes faster than he ever had. Adrenalynn lightly pumped through his veins. He was _not_ ready for Allura to see him like that. She took her time changing. When she re-entered the room, Keith had folded his suit and placed it on a table next to the television. She had the gown draped over her arm. The two of them stared at each other, seeing each other in casual clothes. Where Allura had imagined Keith in traditional Altean clothes, Keith had imagined Allura in jeans and a t-shirt. But, Allura supposed that Keith in dark jeans and a white t-shirt was a good look. And to Keith, Allura in light jeans and also a white t-shirt was a _really_ good look.

"We match!" Allura laughed. Keith smiled and looked down, trying not to blush. She hung the dress up in the closet before turning back to face Keith. The two of them stood there awkwardly… again. Before she could say anything, Keith crossed the space between them in a few easy steps. He had stopped thinking a few moments before, acting on his heart. He wrapped his arms around Allura, burying his face in her shoulder. Her arms went around his waist. She sighed into the embrace, letting herself relax into him. He held her tighter, daring to kiss the nape of her neck. Her breath caught. It was the most intimate place that Keith had ever kissed her. She counted the kiss to the top of her head.

He pulled back, hands on her shoulders, and looked for the answers to everything in her eyes. Allura hoped he would lean and kiss her but, instead, he rested his forehead on hers. She almost choked holding back a disappointed sigh. She kept her hands on his hips as she tried to steady her breathing. She knew Keith was doing the same. The sun was going down and if they weren't careful, they'd stay like that the entire night. Allura was ready for more, something that would settle things between them. Without much effort, she tilted her head, meeting Keith's lips with hers.

Keith didn't move. He had intended to kiss her but then thought that it should be her decision instead. And he was right. Her lips were soft and warm. And for the moment, he was happy with their lips just touching. He knew that everything was going to be Allura's choice. He had opened the door to his heart and it was her choice to enter. Though he had seen glimpses of the future in the quantum abyss, he had no idea how they would get to those points. There was one glimpse that he had really hoped would happen. It was why he would've been content with always waiting for her. It was Allura who would have to set the pace. And Allura decided that she was ready to start this relationship with Keith.

She moved her right hand from his hip to the back of his neck. She deepened the kiss, pulling Keith closer. He kissed her back, his left arm wrapping around her waist, his right hand cupping her jaw. Allura threw both her arms around his neck, letting Keith hold her up. And he was holding her up. Her knees grew weak when he began to kiss her back. She could feel what she never felt with Lotor. She hated that she compared them but she did. Keith set her heart on fire and yet, she never felt more at ease. She felt that this was right; this was good.

Keith had to be careful not to get carried away. Kissing Allura was more than he had imagined. She felt like home. He'd follow Allura to the edge of the universe and then some. These next months were going to be hard. Keith knew that Allura knew that where they were at before was not going to survive the upcoming trials. If they were going to do this, it was going to be together. He smiled into the kiss. Allura was smarter and bolder than him. And he was glad that he let her start the kiss.

"What?" Allura asked against his lips after feeling his smile. Loving the way Keith held her, loving the way his lips moved against hers, she didn't move or open her eyes.

"I'm happy," he hummed back. Allura's heart didn't know if it was breaking or soaring. Keith said he was happy. _He's happy. He's kissing me and he's happy_ , she thought. Her heart felt like it was going to burst with joy. She'd do anything to hear Keith say those words again. Allura threw herself into the kiss with a smile of her own. The kissing became harder with smiles. A small laugh escaped Keith the same time it escaped from Allura. The small laugh evolved into full laughter. They gave up on the kiss and held each other instead. Keith kissed her cheek and looked into Allura's eyes. He reached up and gently took out the pins that held her hair up. She shook her head lightly as her hair fell down.

"I like it better when it's down," Keith said feeling bold. And just like that, the scene he had seen in the abyss played out. He hadn't seen the kiss, but he had seen himself take down her hair and say those words. While traveling in the abyss, he had wondered when those visions would come to be. And he was happy that this one had been so soon.

Allura carefully reached up and touched the scar on his right cheek.

"It might change," she said softly. "What if I cut it?" Keith took her hand on his cheek and kissed her palm.

"Then I'm going to love short hair," he said into her palm and she laughed.

"If I shave it?"

"You've never looked more fierce." He said placing another kiss on her palm. His smile softened as he poured his heart into his next words: "I want to see all the changes you go through. I want to be there to watch you grow and learn… I want you to watch me as well…"

"Is the part where you confess to me?" She whispered, her full heart overflowing with emotion. To her surprise, Keith shook his head. Still holding her left hand, he reached for her right. He held them tight and to his chest.

"I've been trying to confess to you over and over," he said quietly.

"I know," Allura whispered. Keith leaned forward a little to place a kiss on her forehead.

"We can save those words for later," he suggested. Allura nodded and smiled.

"Are you hungry?" She asked him.

"I'm starving," he said, smiling.

They ordered room service, both of them getting burgers and fries. They ordered ice cream for dessert. They talked late into the night, not wanting it to end. They ended up asleep on the couch, Allura's head on Keith's shoulder, holding hands. The next day was going to be hard. But the two of them had a new found confidence. A confidence that whatever happened, where ever they were, they had someone to come back to. Someone to call home.


	10. Chapter 10 The New Mission

Thank you to everyone who's read this story and to those who left a review! I really appreciate it! It's been hella fun and emotional to write. But, we're here at the end. Please, enjoy the last chapter.

Chapter 10. The New Mission

The months went by quickly. The group not only encountered dangerous creatures and situations but also multiple failures. Building the new castles simultaneously was a massive strain on human resources. And on humans themselves. The ships had to be built in space to accommodate for their size. It wasn't a new process for Earth but it was just the size of the ships that caused problems. The two stations were settled into orbit at opposite sides of the Earth. Coran, being in charge of construction for both ships, was kept busy flying back and forth between the two. The Voltron Castle, or V.C. for short, was suited with all its original features plus an updated weaponry system and hopefully a stronger defense.

The Earth Castle, E.C., was not powered by Altean quintessence. Instead, Coran reverted back to "primitive technology," nuclear fusion. E.C. didn't have wormhole capabilities either since that needed an Altean pilot. It was, however, still capable of warp speed. Coran couldn't keep his comments on how old this technology was to himself. He was, however, still equipping it with Altean features, just in case Voltron needed a backup. E.C. was designed to be more of a research vessel, with more labs, classrooms, and dorms for a large crew. Its weapons and defense system were enough to run away but not to win a fight. Allura made it clear that she wanted the people of Earth to go into the universe with goodwill and intention. And down on Earth, there were large crews making escape ships and landing vessels.

It was six months past the initial start that Keith and Allura got to see each other again. And even then, it was with the rest of the group present. While the paladins were out in space, Coran in charge of construction, Krolia and Romelle were left on Earth to educate humans on the Galra and how the universe works. Romelle became the spokesperson for Voltron. It was a good fit for her. She was good at public speaking and she was much more approachable than Keith.

At the nine-month mark, the two castles were finally taking shape. There were seventy-five escape ships made. Hunk and Pidge came back with the second Balmara crystal. They had fought a Galra scout. Their position had been far away from Earth, but the fact that the scout's absence would be noticed set the crew on edge. Keith and Lance returned close to month ten with a few more scaultrite lenses. Their mission was driving them farther and farther from Earth. Month eleven saw Allura and Shiro return with the last of the miscellaneous materials that the ships needed. And Krolia left on a ship back to the Blade. She had to share her information and bring updates back to Voltron.

Fifteen months after the start, most of the Paladins had been back and working on the ships, except for Keith and Lance. They were out getting the last twenty lenses. But it had been six months since they had been back to Earth. The fact that they were so far out worried Allura. The crew had been on radio silence for the past year and three months. It had been a hard decision to make but, they couldn't risk anyone tracking their signals and tracing it back to Earth. Fighting the urge to call Keith was nearly killing Allura. Keith and Allura hadn't told the rest of the team about their relationship. They hadn't felt it necessary to. There were bigger problems to worry about. So many problems, in fact, that they barely even discussed their relationship with each other. They simply knew that they were going to be together when all was said and done.

Month sixteen and both ships were all but done. They were stocked and almost ready to go. The Black and Red Lion were still gone. Missing?

"Allura, please!" Pidge called to the princess who was making her way to the Blue Lion.

"Princess, we agreed that we wouldn't call," Coran tried to reason with Allura. But she was having none of it. Seven months had gone by on Earth and Keith and Lance were still out in space. Allura firmly believed that they should've been back by now, no matter how hard Coran tried to tell her that scaultrite lenses were incredibly difficult to find. Allura entered her lion to find Lance hailing her screen.

"Lance!" Allura's relief was short lived.

"Guys, we need help," Lance began, his voice distressed, not bothering with greetings. "We have the last of the crystals but we're coming under heavy fire. Gah-!" Three hearts fell. "We need help!" The message cut off followed by Lance's coordinates.

"Pidge get to your Lion," Allura's voice was cold, the fear making her calm. "Go now, Pidge!" Pidge was sprinting before Allura could finish, calling Hunk to his lion. Allura pushed Coran out of Blue and told him to tell Earth what was happening. As soon as he was out of the lion, Allura was off the ground.

"Allura, wait!" Pidge hailed Allura, barely making it back to her lion just as Hunk was getting to his. Pidge cursed to herself. Hunk, barely sitting down, hailed Coran.

"Coran, we have enough lenses for V.C. if we take them from E.C." Hunk said as the Yellow Lion lifted off the ground. "Allura's not gonna listen to us right now, so we'll go on ahead. But you can catch up to us and we can jump to Lance and Keith."

"I'm already on it!" Coran responded, flying a small ship to E.C. He called General Imari and explained the situation.

"Mr. Coran," General Imari started, "Take the Lieutenants and soldiers in charge of guarding V.C. out to the battle. We need to see first hand what we're up against." Coran didn't want to be in charge of more people's lives than he had to be but, he agreed. He called ahead to the engineers at E.C and V.C. so that the lenses could be transported and fitted as quickly as possible. Coran looked at the coordinates that Lance had provided and knew that it was going to take a long time to get there without a wormhole. He hoped that Allura didn't exhaust herself before she even got to the fight.

Hunk sent the information to Romelle, who was already working on a press release. It took Coran thirty minutes to get the castle ready. He had pilots-in-training on the bridge as well. He gave them a warning that how V.C. was about to run was not how E.C. was going to be piloted. Pidge sent Coran their newest coordinates and, in no time at all, a wormhole was opened at the front of the ship. The human crew couldn't help but stare, jaws dropped.

Relief flooded through Hunk when he saw the Voltron Castle appear to his right. Coran hailed Allura.

"They haven't answered any of my attempts to contact them," Allura said frustrated.

"We'll get to them, Allura," Coran assured her. Though the radio silence was disconcerting this time, he was sure that Keith and Lance were good enough pilots and paladins to make it out alive. "Get behind me," he ordered the lions as he opened another wormhole.

The battlefield they came onto was not unlike any other battlefield they had seen. It was already over, with no sight of the Black or Red Lion. The debris from the Galra scout mission floated aimlessly and lifeless. The battle had taken place in an asteroid field, adding another level of disarray. The massive size of the debris of the Galra ships combined with the wormhole jumps sent a few of the human crew hurling.

"Where are they?" Hunk asked quietly.

"Let's split up," Pidge suggested. Each of the four pilots flew in different directions. All the while Coran was attempting to hail the two missing lions. A few moments later, the search party was contacted by a relieved Pidge.

"Over here!" Pidge exclaimed. "I've got eyes on Lance!" She flew to the Red Lion whose eyes were turned off.

"Get him onto the ship," Coran said opening the hanger for the lions. Lance was unconscious but alive. Coran had him taken to the medical bay. Five minutes in a cryo-replenisher should be enough to get him talking. While they waited, they continued to search for Keith. It was the most agonizing five minutes. When Lance was out and awake he was greeted with the sight of the rest of his teammates staring down at him.

"You guys made it," he said softly. He didn't waste any time; the look on their faces told him what to say next. "He's on a planet. The coordinates are on Red. We couldn't fight them all at first," he continued as Pidge left to reset Red and get the coordinates. "But we were gaining the upper hand. And then… and then we weren't. We were losing pretty bad. I held them off to give Keith a chance to hide the lenses… He didn't come back?"

"Was it just the one ship?" Pidge asked. Lance looked confused.

"Wha-? No. There were three…"

"Damn," Hunk cursed under his breath. Allura's heart stopped beating. They had fought off more but, everyone's nerves were on fire. Lance groaned as he tried to sit up.

"Get to Red," he said. "We can start from there." He placed a hand on Allura's arm. "He's gonna be alright," he said softly. Allura gave him a small smile and patted his hand.

"Let's get back to our Lions," she said in leader mode. "Lance, you stay and recover. We'll handle the rest of it." Lance weakly nodded and allowed himself to be laid back down by Coran.

Pidge got the coordinates from Red and passed them along to Coran. The team wormhole jumped to the planet not too far off from where they found Lance. It was a planet with deep and thick purple forestry. Or rather, what could be called forestry.

"I'm scanning for the Black Lion but nothing's coming up," Coran hailed the Lions flanking the ship.

"Is it possible he outran the other two Galra ships?"

"Not before he took one out," Pidge said, "Look." Flying around to the opposite side of the planet, was the debris of a second Galra ship.

"Paladins! Incoming!" Coran called to the paladins as the third Galra ship appeared from behind the binary stars that the planet orbited. "It seems that they used the gravitational pull of the two stars to hide their presence."

"If they're still here then that means Keith is still here too," Hunk added. "He's probably on that planet but they can't follow him in."

"What's on that planet?" Allura asked, mostly to herself.

"It doesn't seem like that purple forest is just trees," Pidge answered anyways. "Those trees not only cover the entire planet, up to the edge of the atmosphere, it seems that they might be sentient…"

"It means either they might be hiding or killing Keith," Allura said.

"Let's at least _try_ to stay positive, Princess," Hunk replied sternly. "The Galra aren't attacking which probably means Keith is 100% down there. It also means that they probably suffered some massive damage. Whether Keith or those trees did that is unknown. But what that means, Princess is that we've got a hell of a good chance."

The rest of the team were a little shocked at the strictness in Hunk's voice. They had only heard it once before. Allura appreciated the verbal slap and came back to her senses.

"Allura," Lance's voice echoed in the Lions. " You can go down to the planet and take Pidge. Green is more than equipped to handle plants. Coran, Hunk, and…I will take care of the Galra."

"You're too weak to fight!" Pidge countered.

"It doesn't matter Pidge!" Lance's voice was firm. "Go with Allura. And come back with Keith."

Just then, a blast from the Galra ship hit the shields of V.C.

"Allura, go!" Hunk's voice brought her back a second time.

"Right!" She finally said. "Let's go, Pidge."

The pair nose-dived into the thick purple foliage. Almost immediately the trees reacted. Vines and branches were quickly wrapping around the Lions, sending the paladins malfunction warnings. Allura wondered if Keith fought his way or unconsciously made his way through.

"We're not here to fight!" Allura heard Pidge try to talk to the forest. "We're looking for our friend! Please!" A crack appeared on Allura's main screen.

"Pidge!" She called out. "I'm under extreme pressure! Is there anything you can do?"

"No!" The despair in Pidge's voice was like an icicle stabbing Allura's heart. "The trees are blocking anything I could do with nature! Ack-!" The Green Lion was suddenly thrown to the side, a visible crack on the Lion's right eye appeared. The panic that had set in was threatening to overcome Allura. She took a deep breath, trying to think… and came up blank. Keith needed her help. Pidge needed her. Her friends battling the Galra just above her needed her. She took another breath. She placed both hands on the panel in front of her and focused on her breathing. _Calm down_ , she told herself, _calm… down…_ She closed her eyes and continued. She tried to tap into the quintessence inside of her. She didn't know what she was doing. She just hoped that she was doing something.

Her hands began to shine lightly, the quintessence making its way out of her body. She could feel the small triangles on her face beginning to warm up. She focused on being calm, peaceful. She hoped the intelligent forest could understand her. The bonds surrounding her slowly released their grip. The branches began to caress instead. She called Pidge.

"Pidge," she almost whispered.

"I understand, Princess," Pidge responded just as quietly, already relaxing and trying to be calm.

"I'm getting out," Allura said.

"Be careful."

Allura took another breath. And another. She kept her helmet on as she entered the unknown air. Pidge could see that Allura was glowing, a soft golden light was seeping from her entire surface. Standing on top of Blue's head, Allura was illuminating the otherwise dark forest. Pidge could see Allura measuring her breaths. Then, in the release of her breath, Allura pushed the light as far as she could. The soft light knocked the wind out of Pidge, leaving her with a feeling of a real sense of peace, not the forced calm she had given herself. She felt safe suddenly.

Allura began speaking in a language that Pidge almost didn't recognize. Altean. Pidge had learned to read and write it but its phonetic value was lost on her. There were things that Pidge couldn't pronounce simply because she was Human. She figured that Altean anatomy was much more different than Human. Watching Allura, she was both amazed and a little scared. Pidge realized that the princess, someone she considered her friend, was much more powerful than she ever thought.

Pidge's thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of her stomach in her throat. With a shock, she noticed she was falling. The Green Lion wasn't responding to her and she saw it was only herself falling. She was looking up at Blue's paws until she couldn't see anything. The branches moved out of the way for her until she was a few hundred feet from the ground. They caught her and settled her down gently. The darkness was all consuming on the ground. No light made it to her. Pidge yelped in surprise when Green suddenly started up again. The relief was instantaneous. She hoped Allura was negotiating with the trees so they could get out of here.

"Let's look for Keith," she told Green. She always loved turning on the Lion's external lights because they shot out from the eyes. It was just a little bit comical to her. But whatever laughter she might've had was gone the moment the lights went on. Hundreds of eyes glowed back at her before scattering away. The creatures had no shapes but she could hear them running, flying? She could hear them above, below, and to the sides of Green. Her heart rate was up once again and she couldn't feel Allura's calmness anymore. She patted the control panel in front of her.

"It's okay, girl," she said to Green, but mostly to herself. "Let's walk slowly."

Up in space, the Galra were easily defeated with the new ship. Coran was proud of his design. The new ship moved faster, shields stronger, lasers more precise. Hunk and Lance almost had nothing to do. The battle was over in a few minutes. The team and crew saw the flash of golden light from space. It covered a third of the planet. Coran knew instantly that it was Allura. And it made him worry. She hadn't been using her power recently, much less learned how to properly use it.

"Is that a good thing?" Lance asked after the light disappeared.

"I don't know," Coran answered honestly.

"Sir?" A weak voice called from the crew. The young woman's voice caught the Voltron team off guard, having forgotten that there were more people on the ship than just them.

"Yes, cadet?" Coran answered.

"Is this what we're up against?" Tears filled the woman's eyes. Lance and Hunk looked around the crew of about twenty-five people. They saw the same fear they had when they first left Earth. They saw the uncertainty that they still feel sometimes. Maybe Earth wasn't ready to join this galactic war. A few lieutenants were on board but none of them asked any questions. The woman continued:

"I've been broadcasting this back to Earth but, I'm not sure if they'll receive it since we're so far away from them."

"Oh my god," Lance whispered. He and Hunk shared a look. If the battle had been broadcasting out in the open it was only a matter of time until the Galra picked it up instead.

"Coran," Hunk said, looking towards the advisor. Coran nodded and placed his hands back on the control panel.

"Shields up, 80 percent!" Coran ordered and the panels of the shield flashed as they settled into their formation. Lance and Hunk made their way back to their Lions. Lance could hear the crew begin to whisper amongst themselves. Hunk put a hand on Lance's shoulder as they exited the bridge. The two of them stopped walking as soon as the doors closed behind them.

"Why can't things just go right?" Lance asked, tiredness dripping from his words. Hunk sighed.

"I know," he said quietly, gently squeezing Lance's shoulder.

"I'm tired of this fighting," Lance continued. "I know there are others who have been fighting their whole lives but damn, I'm tired."

"It's Voltron," Hunk said. "I have this working theory that the Lions feed off of our own quintessence. That helps them identify us and communicate with us. I think it's how Black saved Shiro, too. Also, the original Paladins weren't human; so they probably had more quintessence to sustain a long relationship with the Lions. To be honest, I'm not sure just how long we can hold out." Lance gave out a weak laugh and sighed.

"If the Galra don't kill us then Voltron will? That's messed up, Hunk."

"It's just a theory." Hunk shrugged. They resumed walking, feeling a little secure that the castle could take care of a Galra ship without needing them to fight.

Back on the ground, Keith was barely waking up. Last he remembered, he was fighting two Galra ships. He thought he took one down but, he couldn't be sure. He knew he had lost the battle. How he still got away, he didn't know. Trying to calm the pulsing in his head, he slowly stood up. He went to the back of the pit to check on the lenses. To his complete relief, they were all still fine. He was pretty sure that he would've cried if they were ruined. He suddenly remembered Lance and ran back to his seat. The Black Lion wasn't responding. He couldn't even see outside. He thought of going outside. And just as he was about to open the hatch, a sound stopped him. It was the sound of wings flapping. Or was it footsteps? Either way, the sound was disconcerting, to say the least. He had dealt with crazy creatures before but, not being able to get a visual was a risk too high. The sound grew louder and he knew that whatever was out there had him surrounded.

With new, cautious steps he went back to his seat again. He sat with his arms crossed and tried to think. He thought about connecting to the Black Lion but he knew he was too weak to try it. He sighed and placed a hand on the panel.

"Come on," he whispered. A little life came back into the Lion. The screen lit up and, at first, Keith still thought it wasn't working. It was still black. But the more he stared at it, the more he could see vague shapes moving in the dark. He tried to look up and caught the edge of a flash of golden light, too high above him. He wondered about turning on the external lights. He wasn't so sure he wanted to see what was out there.

After watching the screen for a few minutes, he saw about a hundred pair of eyes softly light up. The light had been too far to be a strong beam but, it was coming from behind him. He tried to get the Black Lion to turn around but the Lion refused to wake up any further. He cursed. He knew that that was his only chance of getting out. He went back to the screen trying to hail any other of the paladins.

"Can anyone hear me!?" He called out. Nothing. "Guys! Lance!? Dammit, can't anyone hear me!?" He was met with static. His screen didn't relay anything. He started to hail on every frequency that he could. After a few more attempts and no more signs of the faded light from earlier, he gave up.

"Listen to me," he said to the Lion. " _We_ need to get out of here. Me and you. We can't stay here, dammit. We can't lead Voltron if we're not a part of Voltron!" The Lion suddenly shook itself and let out a roar. Keith yelled, excited that the Lion had woken up.

"Yes! There we go!" He yelled, almost hugging the control panel. "Let's find a way out." Keith steadied his breathing before turning on the external lights. The eyes that he had seen before were gone. All that was left were absolutely massive tree trunks. The further he looked, the more it seemed like the trunks were moving. His heart began to race. If the trunks could move then it meant the ground was probably not as solid as it seemed. And that meant he could sink at any given moment.

The roar had sent a shudder through the trees. Whatever creatures lived there had heard it and Keith wasn't sure when they'd show up to investigate. He cursed under his breath and tried to fly up. He was immediately stopped by the branches. They almost knocked him back down. But he managed to hover right before hitting the ground. He regretted not going in the direction of the light first. Now, he had lost the little direction he had.

It was while he was trying to make a decision that the felt a small tug at his heart. So small that he almost didn't notice it at first. The second tug was much stronger. He could feel the shaking in his hands start to slow. In a few moments, he had completely relaxed. And he didn't trust it. He felt safe, that everything was going to be okay. But he fought it. He didn't know what could be giving him those feelings.

 _Keith._

His own name echoed in his head. His hands were gripping the controls, knuckles white. He didn't answer.

 _Keith. You are Keith._

"It's the trees," he realized, whispering to himself. "The trees are talking to me."

 _Yes. You are Keith._

He couldn't quite place the tone of the voice- voices?- in his head. He couldn't sense if it was malicious or not. He waited.

 _Keith._

It whispered again and this time, he answered.

"Yes, I am Keith." The trees directly in front of him swayed slightly.

 _No harm, Keith. No harm._

"I promise," he said, "No harm." The trees swayed a little faster and parted. They opened a path on the ground. Keith didn't entirely trust the trees but, it was his only option. He followed the path for a few minutes until he could see a light up ahead. Two lights. The lights of a Lion. Keith's excitement almost got the better of him but, he managed to keep his steady pace. Once he was close enough, a call was hailing his screen.

"Keith! You're alive! Are you okay!?" Pidge's voice was the most comforting sound Keith had heard in a long time.

"Pidge!" he called back. "I'm so relieved to see you! Did you find Lance?"

"We did! Last I saw he, Hunk, and Coran were fighting the Galra ship up there. But they should be done… I don't know how much time has passed."

"Did Allura stay on Earth?" He asked already knowing the answer.

"No, she's in here… somewhere. The trees separated us. She was still in the branches and they sent me down here. She did that flash of light thing. I'm hoping she does it again so we can get back to her…"

The shock was short lived on Keith. He knew that Allura had a whole world of potential that she hadn't unlocked yet. From the quiet of the darkness, the trees spoke again.

 _Bargain._

The single word sent shivers down the pairs' back. Bargain? For what?

"Keith?" Pidge's voice rarely sounded small. This was one of those times.

"Don't worry, Pidge. It's gonna be okay." He tried his best to sound assuring. But Keith didn't know what to do. He was sure that waiting would be a terrible plan as well. "Pidge," Keith started, "Can you get a signal on Allura or Blue?"

"No, these branches are so thick that signals can't get through."

"Shit." Keith murmured. "No bargain," he said out loud. "Let us, and our friend, go." The dark shudder of the trees made the hairs on Keith arms stand up. There was a slight hissing sound followed by the sound of the wings and footsteps.

 _Bargain._

The voices of the trees were undoubtedly angry. Keith didn't want to engage in a conversation with them. He had a feeling that they might be smarter than him.

"No bargain." He said, trying to stop his voice from shaking. A heartbeat passed and hundreds of eyes were glowing back at Keith and Pidge. Pidge was working on trying to contact Allura or Coran but to no avail. Keith decided that the needed a different approach. And it had nothing to do with the trees- which, at this point, he didn't think they were actually trees.

Keith closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, trying to slow his heart rate. He let his mind wander, let it open. A decision he almost regretted. As soon as he opened his mind, it was bombarded with a million different voices, the voices of the trees, of the creatures. All of them screaming their thoughts. The trees chanted angrily, "Bargain! Bargain!" And the creatures spoke in a language that Keith couldn't understand. He tried to find the feeling that had tugged on his heart earlier. He had only one thought. _Allura_ … _Allura_ … _Allura!..._

 _I FOUND YOU!_

Allura's voice cut through the chatter crystal clear. Keith opened his eyes to see a ball of light off in the distance, coming closer.

"Pidge!" Keith called out to her, "Get ready!" The two braced themselves for the impact. The trees struggled to move out of the way. The creatures were gone before the light could reveal their forms. And when it hit, it hit with enough force to blow the Lions back a couple hundred feet. In the middle of the golden light stood Allura. At first, Pidge thought she was still standing on Blue's head. But, looking closer, she could see that Allura was hovering slightly above it.

Allura's eyes were glowing light blue; her face markings were glowing light purple. Surrounding her entire frame was the soft golden light. The trees tried to bend away from it, the branches stretching as far away from her as possible. Her arms were by her side; her palms were facing up.

 _NO BARGAIN._

Allura's voice boomed through the dark forest without her having to actually speak. Pidge could see that the trunks of the trees were actually red. Too red. So red that it was almost black and dripping a substance. The sight of it frightened her more than when it was dark. The ground was pulsing as if there was a heartbeat underneath it. She was just grateful that the creatures had left.

 _Allura, get in the lion_ , Keith pleaded silently. Afraid to speak, he thought it instead. _Get in and let's go. Please._ Keith wasn't sure if she heard him. She tilted her head towards him, a move Keith couldn't decipher. She looked up towards the purple canopy and closed her hands into fists. The bubble of light began to lift toward the edge of the atmosphere, taking the Lions with it. The trees hissed as they didn't get their way. Neither Keith or Pidge looked down to see what the creatures might look like. It was better that they didn't have any shape.

They made it past the atmosphere and into space. Once a good distance away from the planet, the light around Allura dissipated and she began to float, unconscious. The Blue Lion also listlessly floated. Keith flew over and brought Allura into the Black Lion.

"Keith!" Hunk hailed the screen of the Black and Green Lions. "Pidge! You guys are okay! What was that?"

"It was Allura," Pidge's voice spiked two octaves. It was then that she noticed how badly her hands were shaking. She tried to clear her throat and start again. "Allura has more power than we know."

"You need to tell me all about it when you get back on board," Coran's face appeared just underneath Hunk's.

"You have a castle?" Keith asked, confused.

"We took parts from E.C." Hunk explained.

"Hurry and come on board. We need to leave quickly before more Galra get here," Coran said hurriedly.

They managed to avoid another battle with the Galra. Lance, Allura, and Keith were all put into cryo-replenishers as soon as they got back. Keith and Lance were woken up as soon as they got back to Earth. But, Coran kept Allura in for longer.

General Imari reviewed the footage from both the ship and the Green Lion. Keith hoped it would be enough for Earth leaders to realize just how dangerous the universe really is. A week after they returned with the rest of the lenses, Earth had the christening of the first intergalactic ship. They named it Small Blue, after their small, blue planet. Everyone but Allura was present.

Another week and Team Voltron was ready to resume their mission of spreading peace and freedom throughout the universe. Their goodbyes with their families were on better terms this time. Only Keith and Shiro left with no one to return to. It was a weird feeling that they both carried.

The new ship looked mostly like the old one. It was bigger, and there were more rooms but it wasn't too hard to learn. Coran stayed at the bridge. Hunk and Pidge easily found the upgraded kitchen. Lance, Shiro, and Romelle could be found in the training room. Keith was in the medical bay watching over a sleeping Allura. Coran had told him that the replenisher would open once she was completely healed. It was two days in space and Keith had fallen asleep sitting criss-cross, head in his hand, in front of Allura. He didn't hear the slight swish of the replenisher opening.

He was so deep asleep that he didn't wake up as Allura picked him up and carried him. It was really late at night on the ship thanks to the cycles in place. Allura was glad that no one would see Keith being carried to his bed like a little kid. She didn't think his pride could handle it. Luckily, she had stared at the blueprints long enough to already know where everything was. She looked down at his sleeping face. The worry was still present in his furrowed eyebrows. In her embrace, however, she could see and feel Keith relaxing into her. He only woke up after she had laid him down and taken off his shoes.

"Allura?" he said, his voice barely a whisper. She set down his shoes and kneeled by the bed.

"Hello, Keith," she said softly. Keith was mesmerized by the way her hair caught the little light the room had. Her eyes wouldn't let him go.

"You're awake? I'm not dreaming?" He lifted his hand to brush a strand from her face. She ever so slightly leaned into his touch.

"No," she said with a smile, placing her hand over his, leaning her cheek into his palm.

"No one saw you carry me, right?" The worry was so real on his face that Allura couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Don't worry, everyone else is asleep. No one saw." It had been so long since he had seen her smile, heard her laugh.

"Stay with me."

His voice was quiet and full of emotion. He meant every word. Seven months he was gone. Their first kiss was almost a year and a half ago. Keith watched Allura's every move as she lifted herself up and over him to lay on the side of the bed next to the wall. Keith questioned her with a raised eyebrow.

"I like being next to the wall," she said shyly. Keith laughed to himself and pulled her close, their foreheads touching, their breath mixing. Allura looked into Keith's dark eyes and saw how softly he looked at her. Her breath caught in her throat. He kissed her forehead.

"You're amazing," he started. "I've never been more in awe of you. You were terrifying and beautiful. I had no idea you could do something like that. Although, it did knock you out for two weeks."

"Two weeks!? I've been unconscious for two weeks!?" Allura's worry almost took her over. Keith quickly grabbed her hands and kissed them softly.

"Don't worry," he told her, "You got us out of there alive and in one piece. Do you remember what happened?" Allura chewed on her lip and thought for a second, trying to piece together the events.

"I remember going down with Pidge," she started slowly. "I remember reaching out to the trees, and then… they took Pidge from me. I was talking to them. Asking them if they had seen you. They weren't making much sense, though. I wasn't sure if they wanted you and Pidge or me to stay. There were so many voices…" Her voice became quiet as she thought of what to say next. "They were yelling at me. I couldn't focus on finding you. And then… and then I heard you. I heard you calling for me."

Her eyes watered, as did Keith's. She didn't wait for him to say anything. She lifted her chin and kissed him. It was soft and gentle, just their lips on top of each other. Keith kissed her back, softly at first. After a few moments, he pushed into her a little and she leaned into the kiss. Keith rolled Allura on to her back, leaning over her, propped up on his elbow. Allura wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close to her. The kissed for much longer than the first time. Keith only dared to put his hand on her hip. He knew there would be time for more later. But, for now, this was enough. Just to hold and have her. He pulled back for a second, catching his breath.

"I'm going to keep calling for you, Allura," he said with his eyes closed, listening to her breathing. "I'm going to call for you again and again." He kissed her between the 'again's. She giggled and kissed him back.

"I'm going to save you again and again," she countered, also kissing him between the 'again's. He kissed Allura one more long time before laying back down next to her. She turned to face him.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" She asked seriously. Keith brushed back her hair again.

"With you, I'm always ready." She smiled and kissed his nose and took his hand in hers.

With that, the two paladins fell asleep in each other's arms. The uncertainty of tomorrow, for once, not lingering over them like a guillotine. Returning to fight the Galra and protect the universe seemed a little less daunting. Keith and Allura, on a new mission together, leaning on each other.


End file.
